(1923)  Page(s) 18.  
 
A Third Selection of Choice Peonies
Alpheus Hyatt is one of John Richardson's fine seedlings. Less well known than Walter Faxon, Milton Hill, and Grandiflora, it is beginning to receive the appreciation which it deserves. Four years ago I bought it for one dollar a root. To-day I note that it is listed by some dealers at five dollars. Its soft rose-pink color is unusually lasting, even when unscreened in the garden. The flower is large, double, and flat. It equals—and in the opinion of many it surpasses—Elwood Pleas, a recently introduced variety which is much more expensive.

(1923)  Page(s) 28.  
 
A Few of the Newer American Varieties
Many of the recent and widely advertised peonies have come from the West. Mr. Brand, of Faribault, Minnesota, made the production of new varieties his great specialty. Out of thousands of seedlings, grown in a wholesale and most interesting way, he has selected and placed in commerce about fifty. [...]
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Brand, 1907) : this much-advertised peony is beautiful but disappointing. The large and fragrant flower is white with delicate tints of pink and yellow. The stem, however, is so weak that the flowers fall over to the ground, their faces in the dirt. The mention of this characteristic is usually omitted in catalogue descriptions. The plant is not very floriferous and the roots increase slowly. No amount of poetic description can change these faults. This peony has been overrated and overadvertised.

(1923)  Page(s) 27-8.  
 
A Few of the Newer American Varieties
Many of the recent and widely advertised peonies have come from the West. Mr. Brand, of Faribault, Minnesota, made the production of new varieties his great specialty. Out of thousands of seedlings, grown in a wholesale and most interesting way, he has selected and placed in commerce about fifty. Of these, Frances Willard and Martha Bullock remain, in my opinion, his best.
Frances Willard (Brand, 1907) is very fine. In addition to the pearliness of its delicate cream-and-blush coloring it has the strength of growth which makes it valuable. The stems are stiff, upright, and able to support the large and lovely flower. The foliage is clean, ample, and ornamental. The roots increase well, and rejoice the heart of the gardener. Altogether it is satisfying and I count it as one of my favorites.

(1923)  Page(s) 16-7.  
 
Another Collection of Ten Choice Peonies
James Kelway is one of the peonies which is somewhat overlooked in the onrush of new seedlings and high-priced varieties offered to the peony-lover to-day. It has always been one of my favorites; therefore it is with especial attention that I read a little leaflet written by Mr. W. E. Upjohn of Augusta, Michigan, on this peony. Referring to the rather low rating accorded to James Kelway by the American Peony Society, Mr. Upjohn says:
"While the symposium of the American Peony Society has been most helpful and stimulating in interest, even for those who for a long time have had interest in peonies, still it should not be read as an infallible peony Bible. Many qualifying factors make for error. Not the least important is the fact that the vote of the man or woman who has and loves a few specimens is equal in the symposium to that of the man of experience with large numbers, who knows his plants both as specimens and in masses. Again, it may be that the man of large experience underestimates a specimen because it is his habit to grow for divisions, and he chooses a light soil because this is the best for his purpose. Many peonies, if not all, will give the finest bloom in a clay loam topsoil with a subsoil of clay. Many kinds, including James Kelway—a most vigorous plant and a gross feeder—give a disappointing bloom in soils poor in clay.
"This probably explains why some people have given so low a vote in the symposium for James Kelway—to my mind one of the grandest peonies known. It has grown for me an upstanding vigorous stem between four and five feet in height, crowned with a group of five or six flowers of most enchanting beauty. It has a quality of petal which has no equal. It has the color of untouched white, and a habit of remaining only half open for a long time, when cut in bud and kept from direct sunlight.
"It may be that among the many new introductions, each with its particular champion, we are overlooking some of the older varieties of equal merit. I am standing as a champion of a peony, James Kelway, in which I have no interest other than my love for this attractive bloom. To my mind it has been given too little prominence."
I agree with what Mr. Upjohn has said in this leaflet in favor of James Kelway. I also think that his point in the matter of rating peonies in the symposium referred to is well taken.

(1923)  Page(s) 29.  
 
A Few of the Newer American Varieties
Many of the recent and widely advertised peonies have come from the West. Mr. Brand, of Faribault, Minnesota, made the production of new varieties his great specialty. Out of thousands of seedlings, grown in a wholesale and most interesting way, he has selected and placed in commerce about fifty. [...]
In Mary Brand (Brand, 1907) and Longfellow (Brand, 1907) Mr. Brand has presented two red peonies of excellent color. The really good shades of red are few among peonies, and they are always eagerly sought by collectors. But in my garden Mary Brand has proved to be a weak grower and shy bloomer. It evidently comes within the number of western peonies which are not at their best in the eastern climate and soils. Longfellow appears to have a stronger constitution than Mary Brand.
For general garden-purposes, however, especially in the eastern part of the United States, neither of these peonies can take the place of Karl Rosenfield, which is a sturdy, all-round, bright red peony, lusty and free-blooming.

(1923)  Page(s) 28.  
 
A Few of the Newer American Varieties
Many of the recent and widely advertised peonies have come from the West. Mr. Brand, of Faribault, Minnesota, made the production of new varieties his great specialty. Out of thousands of seedlings, grown in a wholesale and most interesting way, he has selected and placed in commerce about fifty. Of these, Frances Willard and Martha Bullock remain, in my opinion, his best.
Martha Bullock (Brand, 1907) : this impressive peony must be established to show its full beauty. The extra-large cup-shaped flowers are a rich shade of pink throughout. The plant is naturally vigorous. Under good cultivation it will easily attain a height of almost five feet, with strong stems, immense blooms, and splendid foliage. Indeed, the plant is so lusty that some connoisseurs consider it coarse. One friend insists that it reminds him "of nothing so much as a head of cabbage stuck on the end of a hoe handle!" However, that is a matter of taste; and the fact remains that Martha Bullock makes a magnificent object in the garden. In my experience, the roots of this peony do not increase rapidly, but they are strong and healthy.

(1923)  Page(s) 28-9.  
 
A Few of the Newer American Varieties
Many of the recent and widely advertised peonies have come from the West. Mr. Brand, of Faribault, Minnesota, made the production of new varieties his great specialty. Out of thousands of seedlings, grown in a wholesale and most interesting way, he has selected and placed in commerce about fifty. [...]
In Mary Brand (Brand, 1907) and Longfellow (Brand, 1907) Mr. Brand has presented two red peonies of excellent color. The really good shades of red are few among peonies, and they are always eagerly sought by collectors. But in my garden Mary Brand has proved to be a weak grower and shy bloomer. It evidently comes within the number of western peonies which are not at their best in the eastern climate and soils. Longfellow appears to have a stronger constitution than Mary Brand.

(1923)  Page(s) 32.  
 
A Few of the Newer American Varieties
Miriam (Chase, 1916) is a semidouble of a rich shade of pink, which has the desirable quality of holding its color outdoors. The petals are of excellent substance. The plant is floriferous, strong-growing, and conspicuously good in the landscape. It is one of the noticeable varieties of recent Americam origin.

(1923)  Page(s) 31-2.  
 
A Few of the Newer American Varieties
One extraordinary peony, recently placed in commerce, is Mrs. C. S. Minot (Minot, 1914). It originated in the garden of Doctor C. S. Minot of Readville, Massachusetts, who was an enthusiastic amateur gardener and a devoted admirer of the peony. He planted many peony seeds. When I saw his seedling plot in bloom not a great while ago, I found much to interest me. Some of these seedlings have recently been sold to a western grower, and the future may hold some pleasant developments among them. So far, however, Mrs. C. S. Minot is the best one that Dr. Minot produced. It is an exquisite and distinguished peony. The plant is usually rather dwarf, but it is also sturdy. I have had this variety in my garden for several years. Last season (1922) it surprised me by throwing up tall stems—quite half as long again as they usually grow. The effect was unexpectedly showy. The flowers are large and the coloring is fine. The guard-petals are a soft pink—rather a mauve pink—and melt into a full centre of deep cream. The petals are large throughout. The exquisite tinting, good form, and the quality of lasting well make this peony a most lovely thing either in the garden or as a cut flower.