THE OUTSTANDING VARIETIES 
A short summary of the principal winners at each show has been given. I 
regret that the entire report for each show could not be given. However, I shall 
now endeavor to list some of the peonies that I consider outstanding, many of 
which won honors at one or more of these shows. I also regret that I had no 
reports from the Boston and Duluth shows and could not include the winners at 
these shows. Shows may come and shows may go, each bring its quota of out- 
standing new varieties. Still there are some older ones that as yet stand supreme. 
The most perfect flower is still Le Cygne. Kelway’s Glorious still ranks top for 
general excellence. Solange still in form and color is without a serious rival and 
since it can be gotten in clean roots it is hoped it will be a far more certain 
bloomer. Therese is still at the top of the light pinks, and Mons. Jules Elie still 
ranks as the best pink cut flower. Sarah Bernhardt still wins prizes as best 
dark pink. Few reds have surpassed Karl Rosenfeld and Mons, Martin Cahuzac 
and Matilda Lewis still are the darkest we have. 
Having paid my tribute to our old friends, let us take up the newer ones. 
In pure whites or almost so we have Alesia of perfect form, Mary E. Nicholls, 
sturdy of stem and an excellent bloomer with good form, Casablanca a great globe 
of white, Mrs. J. V. Edlund the perfect exhibition flower though it has a weak 
stem, and the new King Boreas and Gardenia which bid fair to rank high. 
If you like whites enlivened with red spots or lines of which our old stand-by 
Festiva Maxima is such a beautiful example, we have Mary L. much on the same 
order, Rosy Rim edged and tinted rosy red, Evening Star faintly edged red, and 
Denise very strongly colored red in the center. 
With more or less delicate pink tones, there is first of all Elsa Sass, a great 
cupped bowl of beauty; George W. Peyton, rather informal, about the most beau- 
tiful flower seen this year; Marilla Beauty, a great, slightly high built flower 
with a pink center that in spite of its bending stems is certainly one all will be 
delighted to have in their gardens. Tall, good stems, fragrant, Dr. J. H. Neeley 
is one of the finest of all. Two new ones that are rivals for the top place of all 
the recent introductions are Victory, slightly tinted in the center, good stems and 
glorious form and Mattie Lafuze with more pink, stouter stems, larger foliage 
and equally fine form. But they have another contender for the same honor 
which will make them look to their laurels and that is the very sturdy, very large 
evenly colored Dorothy J. It was the wonder of all beholders this year. Alice 
Schneider is a large rather flat flower of great beauty which we do not see as 
often as we should. Nancy Nicholls has more color and is higher built and very 
fine. Nancy Nora is one that came into the limelight by winning best blush at 
Minneapolis. It deserves a trial by all. Mrs. R. M. Bacheller is a great cupped 
flower with a very strong fragrance. Odile is a large globe with a central cup 
of delicate pink and excellent stems. Amberglow has very distinctive foliage and 
a beautiful flower tinted like Solange. Ramona Lins is one of these delicately 
colored flowers that it is hard to describe, but for pure beauty it is hard to beat. 
Do you like yellow tints with your white? If you do, you will find the very 
distinctly lemon colored Thura Hires, Moonglow with an overlay of pale moon- 
light, Gertrude Gibson, medium height, Joseph Christie, rather dwarf, and Yose- 
mite, tall and high built meeting your demands with flowers of unexcelled form 
and beauty. Daintiness itself is the pink toned Flower Girl, its name being truly 
descriptive. Miss Dainty is its strong rival. 
For the garden we like flowers that stand up well, make beautiful plants and 
have glorious blooms besides. These qualities are found to perfection in White 
Rose, exquisitely tinted and formed. Florence Nicholls in robes of white, pink 
and yellow and high built, Mandaleen, even light pink and fragrant, Moonstone 
with the translucent coloring of its namesake, Lottie Dawson Rea, high built 
light pink and Kansas light red of a very brilliant hue, a champion of the year. 
Nimbus is an older one that is just as good. 
