Gbe flatfona IRurservman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
Copyrighted 1909 by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
Vol. XVII. ROCHESTER, ¥. Y., AUGUST, 1909 No. 8 
PEONIES FOR THE TRADE 
THE INTERESTING ESTABLISHMENT OF A WHOLESALE GROWER 
OF THIS GRAND OLD FLOWER 
J. F. ROSENFIELD, West Point, Neb. 
Interest in the Peony as a Flower for the Garden of the Rich Man as Well as for the Poor Man is 
Increasing. Time was When it was Regarded as Vulgar and Common. This was in the Days 
When Mere Variety, not Intrinsic Merit, was Accepted as the Standard by Which Plants Were 
Judged. We now Analyze the Qualities of the Plant, its Innate Beauty, its Vigor and its Adaptibility 
and Rate it Accordingly. Judged by These Standards the Peony Finds a Home in the Gardens of 
the Rich by Reason of its Variety, Grace and Beauty; in the Gardens of the Poor by Reason of its 
Sentimental Associations and Rugged Ability to Bear up Against Possible Adverse Conditions and 
Over a Wide Stretch of Territory, Ranging far North and West, East to the Boundary and Well 
South to the Region of the Sub-tropical Flora. The Rosenfield Gardens are Doing Their Part in 
Popularizing This Valuable Perennial. 
The following seven reasons are given in Cornell Experi¬ 
ment Station Bulletin 259 for the popularity of peonies: 
1. “They are easy to 
grow; anyone can raise 
glorious peonies with less 
trouble than it takes to 
grow roses. 
2. Peonies well estab¬ 
lished are permanent feat¬ 
ures in the garden, or at 
least as permanent as is 
desirable. 
3. Peonies are perfect¬ 
ly hardy wherever apples 
can be grown, passing 
through the most severe 
winters without injury, and 
being very easily protected 
when not hardv. 
4. The blooms are 
large, showy, of various 
forms, and of all shades 
of color from white to purple, and even pale yellow. 
5. Many of the varieties are deliciously fragrant. 
6. They are practically free from disease and insects. 
No spraying, dusting, or hand-picking of worms is neces¬ 
sary. 
7. They are equally successful as a cut flower and foi. 
artistic landscape effects.’’ 
Beginning of the Rosenfield Gardens Importation 
Mr. J. F. Rosenfield began growing peonies in a small 
way in 1884, or 25 years 
ago. At this time his en¬ 
tire stock in trade consisted 
of between 200 and 300 
roots comprising some 20 
varieties. The collection 
grew rapidly under the 
stimulus of the strong, 
personal interest of the 
proprietor. Large impor¬ 
tations from Europe and 
Britain were made till the 
collection has grown to the 
enormous proportions of 
over 600 distinct kinds. 
Some of these are of home 
production. Mr. Rosen¬ 
field records disappoint¬ 
ment in some of his 
English importations while 
he finds those from some of the leading French 
specialists were notably satisfactory. We may add 
parenthetically that this experience does not seem 
to be unique. It is most regrettable that neither 
ordinary care nor ordinary conscience seems to have been 
used in the handling and distribution of many English 
kinds, Mr, Rosenfield records that out of 125 kinds im- 
Peonies and Peony lovers in the Rosenfield family. 
