1939 Introductions. Auten Originations 
No apologies as to number are made for the 22 Auten 
originations named and offered this year, nor for the total 
number of Auten Peonies, which is by far the largest of any 
American introducer. The old standard kinds are still avail¬ 
able for those who want them, at the lowest prices ever 
quoted. Most people read more current literature than 
Shakespeare, and many people derive much pleasure from 
growing new Peonies that are different. Being human, I 
have made some mistakes, but on the other hand I feel that 
Auten Peonies have put the Peony on a new plane as re¬ 
gards color, fragrance, charm and type of bloom. During 
the last 20 years, from many, many thousands of seedling- 
plants, each one theoretically different, 2300 of the best 
have been taken out of the original beds, divided and grown 
on several years for further observation. Of these, about 
172- have so far been named. Carefully planned breeding 
has yielded some gold mines of quality, inevitably also, 
many zeroes. Fifteen kinds were named from one lot of 93 
plants. Last year I advanced 60 fine new white Japs ob¬ 
tained out of 400 plants. This year a line that I thought 
would prove still better for white Japs yielded nothing of 
value. But this wide search for new breeding lines has given 
results over a far wider field than could have been obtained 
by indiscriminate planting of chance pollenized seed, giving 
unfading reds, clear reds, exquisite whites, novelty colors, 
fragrance and sturdiness. 
The new 1939 Officinalis Hybrids, Auten Originations, 
will be found listed with the other Hybrids. 
NEW DOUBLES, 1939. AUTEN ORIGINATIONS 
Cleopatra. Brilliant dark red double, very late, some 
fragrance. An outstanding new red, a much 
needed addition.$ 7.00 
Old Siwash. Opens flesh, fades to pure white; double; 
good size held very stiffly erect; good height. 
Rose fragrant. A personal friendship with the 
late George Fitch, beloved humorist and gradu¬ 
ate of Knox College, inspired the name. 3.00 
Pathfinder. Full double, medium pink, some frag¬ 
rance. Midseason. Good stem for cutting, may be 
of use for commercial cut flower, good substance. 
Ample stock . 1.50 
Patty. Anemone or low bomb type, small bloom, 
dwarf plant. A very unusual shade of pink, near 
salmon . 1.00 
Paul Revere. Dark red double, late midseason, a full 
high built bloom on good plant. A quality red. . . 10.00 
Robin Hood. A very distinct semi-double medium red, 
trim and nicely cupped. Not much more than a 
single. Carried stiffly erect above a low growing 
mass of foliage. Much admired by experts. 6.00 
Vandalia. Full double white, late midseason, rose 
fragrant. A very distinct variety, with some 
narrow white filamental petals among the wider 
center petals. Erect on tall stiff stems. 2.50 
Vincennes. Full double white, opening flushed pink 
and yellow, fading to pure white. Early, on tall 
stiff stems. Fragrant. Might be called a glori¬ 
fied Mme de Verneville, with no red splashes. 
Should make a grand commercial cut flower 
variety. Bomb type. 7.00 
Virginia Lee. Full double pink, fading near white in 
field. Late, and should open well in any climate. 
Medium height, on stems that are good for cut¬ 
ting, a bit weak in the garden. Cut half open, it 
is a flower of wondrous beauty, soft, even glow¬ 
ing pink, shading to a deeper pink in the heart 
of the bloom. In the upper class as regards color, 
along with Walter Faxon and others. It is not, 
however, a seedling of Marie Crousse. 10.00 
