
Greetings 
We are very pleased to present ou 
1948-Spring-1949 catalogue featuring Benet 
Iris, Hemerocallis, and Daffodils to our new 
as well as to our former customers, because 
we are certain that we have something well 
worth your careful study and comparison. 
In 1885 my Grandfather purchased $45.00 
of peonies for his son, Gilbert, who was 8 
years old at that time. These plants were 
planted back of the house, and at the age of 
11 Gilbert Wild shipped one crate of Peony 
cut flowers to Omaha, Nebraska, in a carload 
of strawberries, The wholesaler sent him $3.00 
for this shipment. In 1887, $3.00 to an eleven 
year old boy was considerable money and be-— 
Ing a_lover of flowers also, he continued to 
grow Peonies the remainder of his life. 
In 1938, Gilbert H. Wild passed away, but 
the partnership of Gilbert H. Wild & Son con- 
tinued with his two daughters, Alice Wilda 
Headley of St. Louis, Missouri, Maxine Wild 
Mills of Sarcoxie, Missouri, along with the 
“and Son” part, Allen J. Wild and his daugh- 
ter, Shirley Gene Wild and son, Jim H. Wild. 
Shirley Gene Wild graduated from Mis- 
souri University, June, 1947, and is now with 
us here in the office; while Jim has just com- 
pleted his second years at Missouri University. 
Jim is majoring in Floriculture and we hope 
in the future to develop some outstanding 
new varieties of Peonies of our own. 
Thus you can see that the growing of 
Peonies has been one of our specialties for 
many years, and we have accumulated what 
we cons'der an outstanding group of varieties 
In our 135 acres of Peonies, we have over 1000 
varieties. We were exceedingly fortunate in 
1946 in becoming co-purchasers of the entire 
stock of two of the best Peony collections in 
the East, consisting of the plantings of the 
late Ernest F. Kelsey, East Aurora, New York, 
and the fine collection of Col. J. C. Nicholls, 
Ithaca, New York. Both of these entire col- 
lections were dug in August 1946, and one- 
half of the entire amount of the plantings 
were transported to. Sarcoxie, Missouri, by 
truck. They were divided and carefully plant- 
ed in our Ozark soil, and have grown exceed- 
ingly well. Several of these varieties will be 
added in following years as our stock per-. 
mits. We certainly are pleased to be able to 
offer these fine varieties. 
Many of the originations of both Mr. Kel- 
sey and Col. Nicholls are little known, in fact 
not many of them are to be found in any 
peony collection, with a very few exceptions. 
Col. Nicholls has produced some most out- 
standing and marvelous Japanese types, as 
well as a few fine single and many grand 
double types that will rank with the very best 
in existence. 
_Again, Mr. Kelsey left behind a fine lot of 
white, pink and red Japanese types of peonies, 
and several fine singles, in these same colors 
that are still unnamed. This, together with 
the outstanding doubles he has produced, will 
leaive to posterity something to look forward 
to for many years to come and will prove a 
living monument to his genius and pains- 
taking work. 
We have a stock of all these varieties in 
our possession and any that prove outstand- 
ing and worthy of introduction will receive 
proper recognition. 
As these plants are only two years old, 
we w?ll refrain from offering many of them 
this season, allowing them to grow and de- 
velop another year into good, strong plants, 
the kind we want to distribute to ou 
customers. 
This is not an easy thing to do, as we 
haye some of the most exciting and outstand- 
Ing varieties in our planting that have been 
produced to date and we are exceedingly anx- 
ious to have them better known and more ex- 
tensively grown. This is not prompted alone 
by. any pecuniary remuneration we might re- 
ceive, but is motivated chiefly by our desire 
to have others enjoy their exciting loveliness 
and charm as we have been privileged to view 
them, as soon as it is expedient to do so. 
Both of these originators were very mod- 
est men who were rather reticent in voicing 
the merits of their handiwork. For this rea- 
son, many of these varieties originated some 
years ago have never been given the publicity 
they richly deserve. Peony admirers have mar- 
veled at the outstanding loveliness of Marilla 
Beauty; the clarity of tone coloring found in 
Mrs. Livingston Farrand; the entrancing 
beauty of Nancy Nicholls and a few others; 
but very few have had the opportunity or 
pleasure to see Mother’s Day, a glorified Elsa 
Sass, if such a thing is possible; Ruth Clay, 
an outstanding red that will thrill you; Char- 
lene, possessing an attractiveness that few 
peonies have; Party Gown, a large satiny 
white of dainty loveliness; To Kalon, a real 
find of exceptional quality and ideally suited 
for exhibition purposes; Blush, unusually at- 
tractive and appealing to the eye; Pastel, a 
charming peony very aptly named. 
We have only hurriedly passed over a very 
few of the many lovely creations these two 
originators have produced and there are many 
we have not mentioned that are equally good. 
If we are able to assist in the matter o? 
getting these introductions better known and 
place these fine originators where they can 
be studied in many home gardens through-— 
out the country, we will feel that we are car- 
rying on the work that was stopped by death 
in one instance, and poor health, necessitating 
a cessation of work, in the other. We know 
that it would have been the wish of Mr. Kel- 
sey to have his work perpetuated, and we are 
also fully aware that Col. Nicholls desires his 
lovely creations to have as much publicity as 
possible so that many may enjoy what he has 
labored long to acheive—perfection in form 
and loveliness. The peony world is deeply in- 
debted to these two men for their accomplish- 
ments and untiring work with the peony. 
In our 1949 catalogue we hope to bring 
several of these varieties to you in color. A 
photographer was here during the blooming 
period and many colored pictures were taken. 
In our iris, we have about 600 varieties 
growing on 20 acres. Some of these are not 
offered in this catalogue because of the small 
amount of stock, 
Many new varieties of daylillies are not 
offered this year for the same reason. 
We are located in Sarcoxie, Missouri, 
which jis 165 miles south of Kansas City, Mis- 
souri; 287 miles southwest of St. Louis, Mis- 
souri; and 23 miles east of Joplin, Missouri. 
You are invited to visit us whenever you 
can. The month of May is the best time for 
the Peonies and Iris. On Sunday, May 16, 
1948, over 14,000 cars drove through our Peony 
fields. Allen J. Wild 
