Evening star., 1927-05-21
SHOW PEONIES

The following timely information is
taken directly from an article by
Harry +. Little of Goodland. Ind, in
Bulletin % Of the American Peony
Society.
"A few days before the early varie-
ties are ready TO bloom the plants
should be carefully gone over. and
the strongest most promising buds
OF the varieties wanted for show
selected A small paper baG-the
grocer's common half-pound size is
best-should be slipped over each
bud, and secured in place by small
rubber band, twisted about the
mouth of the bag below the bud just
tight enough to prevent the bag from
being blown away by the wind. Alter
the rubber band is in place care
should be taken to pull the bag well
up against the under side of the bud.
otherwise the subsequent growth of
the stem, especially the later varle-
ties, will force the bud up against
the bottom of the bag and result
in a. warned or crooked stem. The
purpose of sacking the buds is two
fold. First. the bags protect the
maturing buds from damage from
rain or sun: and second, they fur
nish an ideal wrapping for flowers
later on when. in q partly developed
state. they must be packed for snip
ping.
After all the bags are in place, a
wired wooden tree label, with the
name of the variety plainly written
thereon. should be attached to the
stem under each bud well above the
foliage. BY thus permanently label
ing each bud before 1t Is cut from
Iok> F11S SfNyN
later on. when time becomes valu-
able, will be saved.
THE wooden tree labels are the
most satisfactory labels to use be-
cause they are substantial enough
TO withstand possible damage in
shipping and are not affected by
water.
LAS the first flowers begin to open
close attention must be given to the
sacked buds, for the whole secret of
successful storage of the blooms is in
cutting the blooms at just the right
stage. Both the length of the time
blooms are to be held, and the type OF
flower or the variety must be taken
into consideration. Assuming the
flowers are wanted for showing, say,
two or three days after the close of
the blooming season. it would then
varieties in the cold storage about
three weeks. and the midseason kinds
for a week or 10 days, BY watching |
the exposed buds on the plants, and |
by feeling the buds under the bags
one will quickly learn the feel OF the |
buds ready to cut. Early varieties, |
such as Umbrellata Rosea, Grandi- |
fora Nivea Plena and Edulis Superba. |
should be cut just as the bods show |
marked color and begin to feel the |
first indication of softening Mid |
season varieties, such as Frances VIII |
lard and Lady Alexandra Duff. and. |
in fact, most of the varieties except |
the very latest, should be cut at the |
stage just when the petals in the buds
begin to grow and loosen and before |
the first petals begin to unfold. Late |
varieties, such as Marie Lemoine. Mil |
ton Hill and Enchantress must be left |
on the plants until almost at the half
open stage. Single, Japanese an |
semi-double varieties of scant petal |
age should be cut in tighter bud than |
the full rose types. such as Therese |
or Jubilee. Very compact. full-petaled /
varieties, as Indispensable and Ma
Yie Lemoinea must be allowed to de- |
velop proportionately longer on the |
plants.
AS Tue UuuS ISdCH lIlS plOpCi
stage they should be cut with stems |
Is or IS inches long and all foliage |
stripped o. Longer stems on show |
flowers, unless they are to be shown |
in large punches or in bouquets, are |
superfiuous, and the extra foliage can |
well be left on the plants. All buds
of a variety, even on the same plant, /
do not develop evenly, so it may be |
necessary to make cuttings of the |
same variety at two or three different |
times. AS fast as cut the buds should |
be placed in jars of water in a cool |
basement, where the varieties can be |
sorted and tied together for conven-
ience in handling. Each evening the |
days cutting should be taken to the |
cold storage room. and placed, with |
stems well submerged. in jars of water |
70 remain undisturbed until time for |
shipment.
"Probably the best storage temper
ature is an average of 40 degrees, al |
though lower temperature has seem |
ed to give equally good results. At 40 |
degrees, most varieties, and especially |
those cut in tight bud, will remain al |
most dormant, while. other kinds will |
slowly develop until the immense |
blooms fill the half-pound bags almost |
20 the bursting point"