Rose and peony Breeder  

Listing last updated on Wed Aug 2024

United States

BRAND, Oliver F. (1844- January 1921)
BRAND, Archie M. (Oliver's son) (1871-1953)
GENTRY, Myrtle
TISCHLER, Archie
TISCHLER, Robert

[From A Manual on the Cultivation and Propagation of Peonies, by C. S. Harrison (ed.), 1907, pp. 9-10:] "In 1863 there were but few named varieties of peonies in cultivation. The fact that it takes from three to eight years from seed to get blossoms and then the small per cent, of reall}' good ones has operated as a barrier to effort and prevented thousands from engaging in an undertaking that promised so little.
"Beginning the growing of nursery stock in 1867 here in Minnesota, I soon had a good collection of peonies. I was often disappointed because I did not get what I ordered. In one instance, in 1872, from a list of so-called fifteen varieties, there were but four kinds. In 1878 I began in earnest to make a large collection and at the end of the next ten years had full}- 300 named varieties of the best I could secure in Europe and America. M\- main object was to secure seedlings. In this lot were fifty varieties from Mr. Terry. For several years the}- blossomed finely and in 1899 produced anabundance of seed, which I saved and planted that fall. I plowed up a strawberry bed, which made a line place for them. The seeds were planted five inches apart in rows two feet apart. In 1892 two plants blossomed, in 1903 about 125, in 1904 there were about 3,000, in 1905 and 1906 some very fine ones bloomed for the first time. Among these were some of our very best. It seems they had kept themselves in reserve in order to come forth in new glory and a fresh reinforcement of splendor. Certainly they are more than welcome at this late date. If the tardy ones, which are yet to show their colors, improve in the same proportion they will be gladly welcomed.
"Our success has been beyond our expectations. We have a much larger per cent, of really good ones than we had hoped for. We had one from Rubra Officinalis, and this was a duplicate of the parent. A person engaged in this work needs a large amount of patience and a willingness to wait long years for his reward. The satisfaction of knowing that you have been the means of adding to the world's beauty, brightness and happiness is of itself an imperishable reward. In this respect my success has been great."
"F. O. Brand, Fairbault, Minn."

[From Peonies, by Allan Rogers, pp. 19-21:] Oliver Brand (1844-1921) opened the first commercial nursery in the state of Minnesota in 1867, in Faribault, with an assortment of peonies and grafted apple trees... his son Archie (1871-1953)... Myrtle Gentry, a local schoolteacher, was hired to run the Brand Nursery office in 1918 and three years later was made a partner in the nursery... The flowers of 'Myrtle Gentry' are widely considered the most fragrant of all peonies... Early Archie Brand seedlings, all from Paeonia lactiflora, are noted for their vigor, clear color, large flower size, and extreme hardiness... their business was perhaps the largest producer of peony roots in the world throughout the 1920s... Archie Brand died in 1953... Three years later Miss Gentry sold the nursery to two local businessmen, the Tischler brothers, Archie and Robert...
[From The University of Minnesota Extension Service Site:] Brand Peony Farms evolved from the Brand Nursery Company in Faribault in 1925, when it was run by O.F. Brand's son, A.M. Brand. In 1929, the firm was incorporated to include Myrtle G. Gentry. They developed an active breeding program with peonies as the primary crop and developed a national reputation. In 1955, brothers Robert and Archibald Tischler bought the business, which ceased functioning in 1980. Robert continued to breed and sell new cultivars under the name Tischler Peony Garden. Some Brand cultivars are currently sold by Jerry Lund who owns and operates the Farmer's Nursery and Garden Center in St. Cloud.

[From "The Peonies", by Myron Bigger, 1962, p.38:] "Among the most important of commercial growers of Chinese peonies was Oliver F. Brand who started a nursery in Faribault, Minnesota, in the 1880's. His son, Archie Mack Brand, at first practiced law, but at the turn of the century, joined his father in the nursery business. That his main interest was in peonies, was clear from the start. Many acres were devoted to them. He and his father used open pollination and did no hand crossing. They named fifty-three varieties. After the death of the father, the area given to peonies was even larger and at one time there were over ten acres of seedlings alone. Seventy-six of these were named and introduced. Archie Brand was a Director of the Minnesota Horticultural Society, a Director for thirty-one years of the American Peony Society, Vice President 1923 to 1925, President 1925 to 1927. He was widely known throughout the peony world and greatly respected. Among his finest varieties were Hansina Brand, Blanche King, Mrs. A. M. Brand, Myrtle Gentry, Krinkled White, Mary Brand, Frances Willard, and Longfellow."