THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
260 
growers, for it was suggested and agreed to by the Leg¬ 
islative Committee of the New York State Fruit Growers’ 
Association. 
Yours truly, 
\Vm. Pitkin, Chairman, Committee on Legislation, 
New York State Nurserymen's Association. 
REPORT OF TWELFTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF 
THE AMERICAN PEONY SOCIETY 
By John II. Humphreys 
The Twelfth Annual Exhibition of the American 
Peony Society was held in Boston. June 12th and 13th in 
connection with the Peony Exhibit of the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society and while there have been exhibi¬ 
tions in the past with a greater display of bloom, this past 
exhibit is felt to be the most satisfactory in the history of 
the Society. As exhibits covered a wide range of var¬ 
ieties and in almost every exhibit the bloom or blooms 
had been exceptionally w^ell grown. 
The Society’s silver medal for the largest collection for 
not less than a hundred varieties, one flower each, was 
awarded to T. C. Thurlow & Sons, who staged a wonder¬ 
ful exhibition of one hundred and thirty-seven (137) 
varieties of well selected and distinct sorts. This firm 
was also large winners in the other classes. 
The Society’s silver medal was also awarded to Pro¬ 
fessor A. P. Saunders, of Clinton, New 7 York, in the ama¬ 
teur class, for the largest and best collection of varieties, 
named, one (1) flower of each. Professor Saunders ex¬ 
hibited over one hundred (100) varieties, which is going 
some for an amateur. Professor Saunders also received 
the Society’s silver medal for the best new Seedling- 
Peony of American origin, not offered to the trade pre¬ 
vious to the year of 1913; the selection being his Seed¬ 
ling No. 362, a large flower of the semi-rose type and a 
very distinct and pleasing shade of hydrangea pink. 
The Judges also highly commended Professor Saun¬ 
ders for bis varieties white Wings and an excellent 
named single Wild Rose. 
Mess^- Thurlow & Sons were highly commended for 
the Seedlings, Cherry Hill. 
One of the most meritorious exhibits w r as that of A. 
H. Faw kes, w ho secured the first prize for the best col¬ 
lection of twenty-five (25) named varieties, double, one 
(1) flower each. This is always a select class and the 
exhibition as staged by Mr. Fawkes was one of the best 
ever exhibited at a Society’s Show. 
Another deserving exhibit w as that of Mrs. J. F. Flood, 
of Woburn, Massachusetts, who took the first prize with 
Festiva Maxima for the best fifty (50) blooms of one 
variety. This is all the more noticeable when you con¬ 
sider that this was a class in open competition, where 
the amateur came in direct competition with the best of 
the growers. 
In all shows there is usually someone thing distinctly 
noticeable and in this case it w T as the high quality of the 
blooms exhibited, for almost without exception they were 
decidedly above the average and it was the opinion of 
those who have follow ed Peony shows for the last twelve 
years that this w as the best quality of bloom exhibited in 
that time. Very truly yours, 
J. II. Humphreys. 
NEW AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION FOR 
PENNSYLVANIA 
Henry T. Moon, Glenwoocl Nurseries, Morrisville, Pa., 
Appointed by the Governor as one of the Commis¬ 
sioners to Serve on the Board. 
At the last session of the Legislature a bill was passed 
consolidating all the different departments of the govern¬ 
ment of the Commonw ealth that have to do with agricul¬ 
tural interests. 
These include: The Department of Agriculture, whose 
functions have been administered by the Secretary of 
Agriculture; the Department of Farmers' Institutes, 
w hose functions have been administered by the Assistant 
Director of Agriculture; the Department of Dairy and 
Food, whose functions have been administered by the 
Food Commissioner; the Department of Live Stock, whose 
functions have been administered by the Live Stock Sani¬ 
tary Board; the Department of Economic Zoology, w hose 
functions have been administered by the State Economic 
Zoologist, and certain other functions that have been by 
law delegated to the Assistant State Veterinarian. 
Under the act all the functions heretofore performed 
by these several agencies have been consolidated into one 
central bureau, whose functions are to be administered 
by a board of seven, five of whom shall be farmers, and 
under them, as a counseling body, there is to be appointed 
a Commissioner of Agriculture. 
Under this Commissioner these several bodies, hereto¬ 
fore enumerated, are to he organized under the direction 
of the Governor as bureaus, in order that the whole agri¬ 
cultural problem of the Commonwealth may be admin¬ 
istered as a unit and that its administrative functions 
may be properly carried out in the interests of the far¬ 
mers of Pennsylvania. 
I have devoted such time and thought to the creation 
of a board or Commission of Agriculture that would be 
in every respect capable and effective. I have also had 
in mind the diversified agricultural interests of the Com¬ 
monwealth, and the several geographical districts of the 
Commonwealth, and have resolved to appoint to this 
board the best type of citizens qualified under the law r 
for service that I could find, and I take pleasure in an¬ 
nouncing the appointees.” 
Frank S. Black, Garrett. Somerset Co. 
Marvin E. Bushong. Quarryville, Lancaster Co. 
Alba J. Gilfillan, Smethport, McKean Co. 
Henry T. Moon. Morrisville, Bucks Co. 
Maurice T. Phillips, Pomeroy, Chester Co. 
L. B. Sexton, Rome. Bradford Co. 
IF V. White, Bloomsburg, Columbia Co. 
Under the new law r the Commissioners are to serve 
eight years. They will receive no compensation, but 
expenses will be paid. At least five of them must be 
farmers. 
The Secretary of Agriculture is to be appointed as 
heretofore by the Governor for a four-year term. With 
the approval of the Governor and the commission the 
Secretary is to appoint a deputy, a food commissioner, 
Zoologist, veterinarian, deputy veterinarian and other 
officers as necessary, and shall carry out all duties as in 
the past. 
