o 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 char