FOREWORD 
DVANCING years have reduced my 
activities for some time but I have 
kept up the hybridizing at the expense 
of my retail business. I have neither 
been able to handle correspondence promptly nor 
to give as good shipping service as I would like. 
My sons, Jim and Barry, became associated with 
me this spring and will continue to assist in reha¬ 
bilitating the business. They have both been trained 
in plants at Cornell University. With their help, 
our service will soon regain its former high quality. 
The winter has been very favorable and all the 
plants came through in excellent condition. We 
ship high class Iris plants and our Peony divisions 
are always exceptionally strong. 
We could truthfully write more glowingly of 
our newer Iris introductions and the only three of 
our Peonies yet exhibited all won awards on their 
first appearance; the bloom of "Harry F. Little" 
which won as best bloom in show at Lansing last 
year was said to be "unbeatable" by many who wrote 
me. "A. B. C. Nicholls" has been selected to com¬ 
pete for best bloom in show every time shown. 
"George W. Peyton" will be a strong competitor in 
that class. "Mrs. Livingston Farrand" is still sen¬ 
sational and will be for some time to come. Our 
other listed originations are little behind those. 
After consultation with Little, Peyton, Otis and 
Webb, we have placed in our garden all the 
best chinensis Peonies as well as many of the best 
tree Peonies. 
Visitors are welcome in our gardens at any time. 
Usual heights of bloom are: Irises, June 8 to 15; 
Peonies, June 18 to 27. 
J. C. Nicholls, 
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