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icle " for February 7, 1880. After pointing out that the tree peony 

 by nature demanded a complete rest at a low temperature, he says : 



" In China, propagation by suckers and cuttings is completely 

 ignored. In the beginning of October, large quantities of the roots 

 .of a herbaceous peony are seen heaped up in sheds and other out- 

 houses, which are intended to be used as stocks for the Moutans. 

 The bundles of tubers which form the roots are potted in pieces, 

 and each of the finger-like rootlets forms a stock, upon which the 

 Moutan is destined to be grafted. Having placed a large number 

 of the roots upon the potting bench, the scions are then brought 

 from the plant which it is desired to increase. Each scion used is 

 no more than i)^ to 2 inches in length, and is the point of a shoot 

 formed during the by-gone summer. Its base is cut in the form 

 of a wedge and inserted in the crown of the finger-like tuber. This 

 is then tied up and clayed around in the usual way, and the opera- 

 tion is then complete. When a large number of plants have been 

 prepared in this manner, they are taken to the nursery where they 

 are planted in rows 1 to i}4 feet apart with the same distance 

 between the rows. In planting, the bud or point of the scion is 

 the only part which is left above the ground; the point between 

 the stock and scion, where the union is destined to take place, is 

 always buried beneath the surface. Kaempfer states that the 

 Chinese propagate the Moutan by budding, but this is a mistake, as 

 budding is never practiced in that country and is not understood. 



" In about a fortnight the union between the stock and scion is 

 complete, and the following spring the plants are well established 

 and strong. They frequently bloom the first spring and rarely 

 later than the second, when they are dug up and taken to the 

 markets for sale." 



After considering the various methods described above, the 

 writer thinks that the best method is to cleft graft non-flowering 

 shoots of the tree peony on-to good strong roots of P. alhiftora, and 

 wax thoroughly. When planting out, cover well above the union. 

 Keep cool and moist till the union is established, which will take 

 about a month. 



Packing peony roots for shipment. — When the roots are dug in 

 fall they should be divided and packed as soon as possible. There 

 are many methods of packing. Perhaps the best is simply to bury 

 the roots in very slightly moist and finely ground tan-bark. Some 

 growers maintain that the crowns should be left out in the air, 

 and they therefore rig up a box, like that in the illustration 

 (Fig. 15), placing the crown next the central opening and packing 



