Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19
PEONY EXHIBITION
EARLY NEXT MONTH
Fanciers From All Over
Country Will Compete
at Willard Hotel.

The peony, regal mistress of June
gardens, will be the queen of flowers
at the annual national exhibition of the
American Peony Society at the Willard
Hotel early next month.
Thousands of blossoms sent to Wash
ington by peony fanciers from all over
the country will be on display and In
competition for the prizes and medals
offered The exhibit will be in con-
junction with the annual flower show
of the American Horticultural Society
The tentative dates are June and 3.
These depend somewhat on the progress
of the season.
The greatest competition is expected
to be for the $1,000 prize offered by the
society for a pure yellow peony, Tor
years the goal of breeders OF these
flowers. Thus far it has proved a
battling problem, akin to that of the
black tulip of seventeenth century Hol-
land, Scores of crosses have been made
both in America and Europe but the
Enthusiastically yellow shade has eVaded
the ingenuity of the botanists. Several
entries are expected this year. In order
to be considered for the award the
flower must be nearly double, have no
traces Of white or pink, show clearly
that it will not fade to white, and con,
stitute distinct new variety instead
Of merely an accidental blossom.
Many Prizes Offered.
A total of SO prizes and medals are
offered. including The Evening Star
grand prize, a handsome loving cup,
offered to the garden club or civic
organization amasSing the greatest
number of points in the various COM
petitive classes. A first place won IN
anv class, excepting the open peony
class for professional and amateur
growers. will receive five points, a
second place 2 points and third. l
point. The Evening Star prize may be
competed for by all bona fide members
of garden clubs and points won Will
be accredited to the organization. Inc
winning club will hold the cup for one
wear and have its name engraved there
on. The club winning the trophy three
times will be awarded permanent pos
session. A.
The finest display is expected in the
competition for the gold meoal OF tie
society for q collection OF not more
than 100 and not less than 80 named
varieties. All must be double or semi
double and the collection must con-
tain one bloom of each variety. Dr.
Earle B. White, in charge Of local ar
rangements, already has received nu-
rnerous entries, so that several thou-
sand blossoms in this one sectlon are
assured. Other classes Will pc COM
posed of white, dark and light PINK
and red varieties and Japanese ana
Chinese peonies. A special section is
set aside for tree peonies. Exh1bitors
are divided into three classes-amateurs,
advanced amateurs and one open to all,
in which the cottage gardener Will
compete on basis of equality with the
professional peony breeder and raiser.
The peony, according to DR.. White,
now is supplanting the rose as the
queen of American gardens. but 1t has
made its progress in the North. Inc
the coming exhibition will arouse
greater interest in the neighborhood OF
Washington, especially in the newer
varieties which represent enormous ad-
vances over the familiar red "pinies"
of grandmother'S garden. One OF the
oldest Of cultivated flowers, long en-
shrined in the sentiment and legendry
Of Europe and Asia, the peony In recent
years has entered a period OF trans
formation at the hands Of breeders
which is making it larger, more double
and more fragrant.
Prominent I'm Mythology.
The flower had prominent place
In Greek mythology from which 1t de-
rived its name. An account OF its
legendry origin is given in Homer's
Illiad. According to this story, Aescula-
Plus, the physician of the gods, had
wounded by Hercules in the Trojan
War, the jealousy of Aesculapius was
excited and he plotted to kill Paeon.
The grateful Pluto saved his benefactor
by changing him into q flower
Throughout ancient and MEDIEVAL
times, the medicinal power Of the
peony were in high repute. Pliny de-
tails 20 diseases which it would cure.
It still Is valued as an herb.
In China the peony served as a sort
Of forget-me- which one friend be-
slowed on another at parting. It's roots
also were valued as food. The Chin
csc botanists early recognized the orna-
mental possibilities and by intensive
cultivation greatly increased the size Of
the flower. In medieval Europe
peonies spread from monastery gardens
to the cottage. Its seeds continued to
be cherished for medicinal purposes.
In the words of John Gerard, physician
and medical writer of the early six
tenth century: 1.-The black CRANES to
the number of Is taken in wine or mead
is a special remedy for those that are
troubled in the night with the disease
known as ephialtes or nightmare which
is as though a heavy burden were laid
upon them, and they oppressed there
with as If they were overcome by their
enemies or burdened with some great
weight; and they are also good against
melancholik dreams"
Red and White First Known.
The old red and white peonies were
the only ones known until early in the
nineteenth century when some varieties
were imported from China and crossed
with the European species The great
est progress was made in France. where
the peony obtained the patronage OF
the Empress Josephine and several cele-
brated plant breeders worked to pro-
duce better types. The same men al
the same time were producing the
hybrid perpetual rose which still holds
Its sway In gardens.
Peonies probably were brought tc
America early in the Colonial period, but
there is no record of them until 1900
when four varieties were listed by
Bernard Mcmahon in his American
Gardeners Chronicle. Real efforts u
improve the peony in this country die
not start until the last quarter Of The
nineteenth century. Ever Since there
has been a continual increase in inter.
est, large fostered by the American Peony
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