Aristocrats of National Peony Shows 
The most coveted award in the shows of the American Peony Society is offered in 
the class calling for one bloom each of from eighty to one hundred different varieties. 
The winner in this class receives the Gold Medal of the Society. 
In the March, 1935, number of the society’s annual bulletin there appeared a chart 
prepared by Mr. W. F. Christman listing all the varieties that had been shown in the 
class during the preceding ten years. 
Realising that this chart is not available to all who grow Peonies and also that it is 
now out of date, we have prepared a similar chart covering the shows of the past ten 
years. But catalog space is expensive so we have condensed our chart for use here, in¬ 
cluding only those varieties that have appeared in at least five out of ten of the winning 
exhibits. 
Note: In making this chart we have used the names of varieties reported in the various bulletins 
issued by the American Peony Society. We have checked these varieties very carefully and we hope 
that no mistake has been made. 
Name of Variety 
Originator 
1929 
1930 
1931 
1932 
1933 
1934 
1935 
1936 
1937 
1938 
Name of Variety 
Originator 
1929 
1930 
1931 
1932 
1933 
1934 
1935 
1936 
1937 
1938 
Avalanche 
Crousse 
x! x 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Longfellow 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
1 X 
Asa Gray 
Crousse 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Lora Dexheimer 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X X 
Alice Harding 
! Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Mme. Emile Galle 
Crousse 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Auguste Dessert 
Dessert 
X 
x! x 
X 
X 
X 
Mme. Emile Lemoine 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Baroness Schroeder 
Kelway 
X 
X 1 X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Mme. Jules Dessert 
Dessert 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
IX 
Ball O’ Cotton 
Franklin 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Marie Crousse 
Crousse 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
x 
Brand’s Magnificent 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Marie Jacquin 
Verdier 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
1 
Chestine Gowdy 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Marie Lemoine 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
1 
Clemenceau 
Dessert 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Martha Bulloch 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
IX 
David Harum 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Mary Brand 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
E. C. Shaw 
Thurlow 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Milton Hill 
Richardson 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
1 x 
Eugenie Verdier 
Calot 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Miss Salway 
Kelway 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Felix Crousse 
Crousse 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Mont Blanc 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Frances Willard 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Mrs. Edward Harding 
Shaylor 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Georgiana Shaylor 
Shaylor 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Mrs. Shaylor Force 
Shaylor 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Hansina Brand 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Myrtle Gentry 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Henry Avery 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Mons. Jules Elie 
Crousse 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Inspecteur Lavergne 
Doriat 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Phoebe Cary 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
James Kelway 
Kelwav 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Phyllis Kelway 
Kelway 
X 
X 
x 1 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Judge Berry 
Brand 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Philippe Rivoire 
Riviere 
X 
X 
x | 
X 
X 
X 
June Day 
Franklin 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Primevere 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Karl Rosenfield 
Rosenfield 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Pres. Wilson 
Thurlow 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Kelway’s Glorious 
Kelway 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Reine Hortense 
Calot 
X 
X | 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Kelway’s Queen 
Kelway 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Rose Shaylor 
Shaylor 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Katharine Havemeyer 
Thurlow 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Raoul Dessert 
Dessert 
X 
X 
X 
X | 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Lady A. Duff 
Kelway 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Sarah Bernhardt 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
x ! 
x | 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
La France 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Solange 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X | 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
La Lorraine 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Souv. de Louis Bigot 
Dessert 
x! 
X 
XI 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Lamartine 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
. 
X 
Therese 
Dessert 
X 
X 
x I 
X 
X 
X 
Le Cygne 
Lemoine 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X | 
X 
X 
X 1 
Tourangelle 
Dessert 
! 
X 1 
x 1 
X ! 
X 
XI 
La Perle 
Crousse 
X i 
XI 
X 
X 
X 1 
1 
X 1 
Victoire de la Marne 
Dessert 
! 
X ! 
XI 
XI 
X 
x | 
Laura Dessert 
Dessert 
X 
X 
X 
X 1 
X 
X 1 
Walter Faxon 
Richardson 
x i 
X ' 
x | 
X 1 
XI 
X 
x | 
X 
X 
INFERENCES FROM THE CHART 
First of all we must assume that every Peony that has appeared five out of 
ten times in winning exhibits of the big shows of the American Peony Society, 
which are held in various sections of the country, is a good Peony. 
It must not be inferred, however, that all of the best Peonies grown appear 
in the list. In the first place, there are many equally fine Peonies that bloom 
too early or too late to appear in many shows, since the dates of the show gen' 
erally fall during what is expected to be the middle of the Peony season, and 
often early and late varieties do not appear. 
Such fine early varieties as Edulis Superba, Richard Carvel, Cherry Hill, and 
Festiva Maxima are seldom seen in the show room. Extremely late varieties also 
are usually not open when shows are held. 
A number of new varieties have received very high ratings, but have not 
been on the market long enough to qualify for the list. 
It would be interesting to compare this list with a similar one prepared ten 
years from now. 
[IB] 
