Plant peonies any time from the first of September until the time it freezes up and plant any time in the spring until the growth starts on the plants. If you plant in the spring you are just six months ahead of planting in the following September, though September is really the best time to plant. If a peony clump becomes old, as large around as a tub, and you still want it to stand in the same place I would cut out half of the stalks as they come up, and then to get still larger blossoms after the stalks have come up I would pinch the side buds also."
[Illustration: A fringe of peonies at the summer exhibit.]
Mrs. Crawford, of Indiana, a peony grower of much experience there, who came to Minneapolis for the purpose of attending our flower meeting, we understand, told us something about how peonies are grown in her section, an interesting and practical talk, part of which follows: "In Indiana we have a sour, black clay soil. We fertilize with crushed limestone and leaves. I fertilize with the leaves that fall in the autumn after the leaves have begun to rot. I cover them without cutting the tops. Then in the spring when they begin to bud we go over them on our knees and work the leaves all in with a trowel. I have 3,000 plants, but with the assistance of the men we have we get it done, and grow fine peonies. In regard to manure, I never feel that I can put any fertilizer within two feet. The rows are from three to four feet apart. We never use any fertilizer that will come in contact with the stems, as when the flowers are cut off it leaves the stem hollow, and if the manure gets in the stem it works down the stem into the roots and leaves a hollow root in time. We never use in our part of the state any fertilizer that will come in contact with the stems except leaves. When the streets are cleaned in the fall I pile the leaves on the back lot. I have fourteen or fifteen loads hauled in. This is scattered over the peonies. I want to compliment you on having very fine peonies, some of them finer than I have ever seen, and I hope you will all be as enthusiastic about raising peonies as I am. Is it necessary to burn the tops when they are cut off?
I consider that the ashes from the tops aid in fertilizing. I pile them up in little piles and burn them and sprinkle the ashes over the peonies. Frequently when I dig around a peony and I feel that the soil has become exhausted I throw in a handful of garden peas, and when they get about a foot high I spade them under for fertilizer."
Mr. D. W. C. Ruff, of St. Paul, had a wonderful showing of peonies of named varieties, most of them very expensive from a money standpoint, they having cost him prices varying from $5.00 to $40.00 a root, and judging by the character of the flowers which he held up for the audience while he talked about them they were well worth the money. I regret that we are unable to give a verbatim report of his talk, with the names of the varieties, but this information must be secured from him at some later time. In part he said:
"I have spent the last fifteen years in making a good collection of peonies. I have gone all over the world for peonies and have brought together some of the finest peonies from all the noted growers and horticulturists. In my collection I have over 400 hundred varieties, that is, what I am growing at my home. I have brought here today of course a great many peonies of the later varieties. I have brought these here from an educational standpoint so that the people might see some of the rare ones that they might have heard about or read about and see them and know of these varieties. Last year I made an exhibit and showed hundreds of them. This year I have brought just a few choice things."
Rev. C. S. Harrison spoke in his usual inspiring way, but with such force and speed that our stenographer was unable to pick him up, which we sincerely regret. We all know Mr. Harrison as an enthusiast in flowers.
He has met with us year after year at both annual gatherings. While he is eighty-three years old yet what he has to say and the way he says it still have the ring and inspiration of youth. He proposed the organization of a peony society for the Northwest, and a show of hands indicating there was material present to perfect such an organization the plans were laid therefor. Our reporter got this far:
"I have attended the national peony shows of Boston and New York, and they cannot hold a candle to your peonies, mark that! There is something in your soil and in your climate which brings them to the front."
Prof. F. L. Washburn was to tell us something about the white pine blister rust, but he failed to inflict upon us a long technical talk, and from what he said all the reporter got was this, from which however one could well judge what was in his thought. "We have found in Minnesota a disease on the white pine called the 'white pine blister rust.' One stage of this disease is on the gooseberry or currant, that is, we find it now on the white pine and going to the gooseberry or currant. We went to the governor, state treasurer and state auditor and obtained $1,000 for use in fighting this besides our regular appropriation."
Mr. J. M. Underwood, of Lake City, without whom the program would be incomplete, spoke a few closing words as follows: "We have had such a splendid program, and I know you are anxious to look at these beautiful flowers, and all I have time to say, and a disposition to say, is that I think we owe a great obligation to the Garden Flower Society, a splendid organization auxiliary to the State Horticultural Society. I think you ought to all be members of that Garden Flower Society. It is a wonderful working organization, and I think the ladies that are in charge of it deserve a great deal of credit and should be complimented as being foremost on the program. There is a great deal that I could say, but I know there isn't time for it, and I thank you."
In the meantime many more visitors had come into the hall to view the display, which continued on exhibition until 9:00 o'clock in the evening. Prof. Cady, who had general charge of the arrangements at the meeting, reports that at least one thousand people saw the display, and we think that it was well worth while to have kept it open until that hour. Representatives from a number of the hospitals were present after the meeting and took the flowers away to be used to cheer the sick in both Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The total amount of awards at this meeting were $178.75. A list of these awards with the names of the judges follows in a separate article. No one person took any large amount of premiums, they were well distributed amongst a dozen and a number of others who received smaller amounts.
Mrs. H.B. Tillotson, who has a wonderful flower garden near Eureka, Lake Minnetonka, received premiums of $17.00, which is the largest amount paid to any one person, although there were a number of others who received slightly smaller amounts.
Award of Premiums, Summer Meeting, 1916.
ROSES.
Collection, B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, fourth premium, $1.00.
Collection named varieties, amateurs, Thos. Redpath, Wayzata, second premium, $4.00.
Collection named varieties, amateurs, Mrs. H. B. Tillotson, Excelsior, First premium, $6.00.
Collection named varieties, amateurs, Mrs. D. W. C. Ruff, St. Paul, third premium, $2.00.
Three named varieties, white, Thos. Redpath, Wayzata, first premium, $2.00.
Three named varieties, pink, Thos. Redpath, Wayzata, first premium, $2.00.
Collection Rugosa and R. Hy., B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, first premium, $2.00.
Most beautiful rose, Mrs. H. B. Tillotson, Excelsior, first premium, $1.00.
Largest rose, Mrs. D. W. C. Ruff, St. Paul, first premium, $1.00.
Seedling, B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, first premium, Bronze medal donated by American Rose Society.
Basket outdoor roses arranged for effect, Mrs. H. B. Tillotson, Excelsior, first premium, $3.00.
Basket outdoor roses arranged for effect, Mrs. D. W. C. Ruff, St. Paul, second premium, $2.00.
Basket outdoor roses arranged for effect, Mrs. John Gantzer, St. Paul, third premium, $1.00.
Mdm. Plantier, Thos. Redpath, Wayzata, first premium, $0.75.
Gen. Jack, B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, first premium, $0.75.
Gen. Jack, Mrs. G. T. Brown, St. Paul, second premium, $0.50.
Magna Charta, Mrs. G. T. Brown, St. Paul, first premium, $0.75.
Ulrich Brunner, Mrs. G. T. Brown, St. Paul, first premium, $0.75.
Baroness Rothschild, Mrs. G. T. Brown, St. Paul, first premium. $0.75.
Mdm. Plantier, Mrs. G. T. Brown, St. Paul, second premium, $0.50.
AUG. S. SWANSON, Judge.
PEONIES.
Flesh or light pink, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, third premium, $0.50.
Medium or dark pink, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, third premium, $0.50.
White, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, second premium, $1.00.
Festiva Maxima, B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, second premium, $1.00.
Medium or dark pink, B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, second premium, $1.00.
Festiva Maxima, John E. Stryker, St. Paul, first premium, $2.00.
Light pink, John E. Stryker, St. Paul, second premium, $1.00.
Dark pink, John E. Stryker, St. Paul, first premium, $2.00.
Red, John E. Stryker, St. Paul, second premium, $1.00.
Flesh or light pink, D. W. C. Ruff, St. Paul, first premium, $2.00.
White, D. W. C. Ruff, St. Paul, first premium, $2.00.
Red, D. W. C. Ruff, St. Paul, first premium, $2.00.
Collection, 3 blooms, professional, B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, first premium, $6.00.
A. M. BRAND, C. J. TRAXLER, Judges.
Collection, three blooms, amateur, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, fourth premium, $1.00.
Collection, three blooms, amateur, Mrs. H. B. Tillotson, Excelsior, third premium, $2.00.
Collection, three blooms, amateur, John E. Stryker, St. Paul, first premium, $6.00.
Collection, three blooms, amateur, Mrs. E. W. D. Holway, Excelsior, second premium, $4.00.
OLAF J. OLSON, Judge.
Seedling, B. T. Hoyt, St. Paul, fourth premium, $0.50.
Seedling, Crimson No. 1, 1916, A. M. Brand, Faribault, third premium, $1.00.
Seedling, Ruth, A. M. Brand, Faribault, first premium, $3.00.
Seedling, No. 245, A. M. Brand, Faribault, second premium, $2.00.
D. W. C. RUFF, Judge.
ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS.
Dielytra, F. H. Ellison, Minneapolis, third premium, $0.50.
Forget-me-nots, F. H. Ellison, Minneapolis, first premium, $1.50.
Gailardias, F. H. Ellison, Minneapolis, third premium, $0.50.
Grass Pinks, F. H. Ellison, Minneapolis, second premium, $1.00.
Iceland Poppies, F. H. Ellison, Minneapolis, second premium, $1.00.
Dielytra, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, first premium, $1.50.
Delphinium, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, third premium, $0.50.
Foxgloves, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, second premium, $1.00.
Grass Pinks, Mrs. Frank Moris, Lake Elmo, first premium, $1.50.
Delphinium, Mrs. H. B. Tillotson, Excelsior, second premium, $1.00.