I04 



will be found high up on the stems with fine roots beneath. Cut 

 these off and replant. The old clumps will then develop latent 

 buds and continue as before, but little weakened by this process." 

 This method, I am advised by one lai-ge grower, is not to be recom- 

 mended, as it tends to impair the vitality of the future peony stock. 



Nurserymen will find it to their advantage to plant peonies for 

 propagating purposes in very deep and well prepared soil. As a 

 result of this, long and symmetrical roots will be formed which 

 divide into much better plants than when the roots encounter a 

 hard-pan, and in consequence grow crooked and twisted. Straight 

 and symmetrical roots are also much easier to pack for transporta- 

 tion than crooked ones. They may also be labeled much more 

 securely. 



Propagation of the tree peony. — ^The tree peony is much morg 

 difficult to propagate than its herbaceous congeners.- In looking 

 over the literature, the writer has found described in various places 

 nine different and distinct methods for multiplying this plant. 

 Before the peony was introduced into Europe, the Japanese and 

 Chinese had proved themselves quite ingenious in devising methods 

 for multiplying rare varieties of this plant ; and the success they 

 achieved seems the more remarkable to us when we consider the 

 crude methods they used. 



The nine different methods mentioned above may be classified as, 

 follows : 



1. Planting of seeds. 



2. Grafting on roots of herbaceous peonies, both by the splice 

 and cleft method. ) 



3. Stock-grafting on Moutans. 



4. Root-grafting on Moutan roots. 



5. Layering. 



6. Division of the stems, 



7. Division of the root crowns. 



8. Cuttings of the stem. 



9. Cuttings of the roots. 



The Japanese until recently did not use grafting wax, but a kind 

 of clay held in place by a cylinder of split bamboo bound about 

 with raffia. 



Layering. — The plants should be standing in the border. The 

 branches are bent down and held in the soil by pegs. A slit should 

 be made in the bark on the inner side of the bend to encourage the 

 formation of roots. This will necessitate great care in pegging 



