ii8 



may be so much alike that for all purposes of mankind they should 

 be considered as one variety. Thus synonyms will arise. 



Professor Bailey says (Survival of the Unlike, p. 239) : " Syn- 

 onyms arise in three ways, — by the bringing together of like plants 

 of distinct origin, by the divergence or modification of plants of 

 like origin, and by the simple practice of re-naming." Both the 

 first and third ways have been the most prolific causes for the many 

 synonyms in peony varieties. The second method has probably not 

 been a very important factor in the case of peonies, for they are 

 propogated asexually ordinarily and the varieties are clonal, there- 

 fore there is little chance for them to diverge. 



For these reasons, I feel free to make synonyms in this work. 

 I take it for granted that simplification is what is needed most, and 

 shall group together all seedlings which cannot readily be separated 

 by an ordinary study of the characteristics above outlined. 



V. DISEASES AND INSECTS 



Diseases 



The peony is as a rule remarkably free from both fungous and 

 insect troubles. So far as I know, no such trouble has ever been 

 widespread or serious. Occasionally, however, reports come in of 

 isolated cases where the peony was noticed to be diseased. The 

 great majority of these reports when investigated show the presence 

 of a fungus variously named, but which we may at present follow 

 Dr. Halsted in calling Botrytis vulgaris. The best illustrated 

 description I can find of this disease is by George Massee in Gar- 

 deners' Chronicle, Aug. 13, 1898, p. 124. 



This disease is first brought to notice by a wilting and collapsing 

 of the stems just before blooming time. Upon examination it will 

 be found that the stems have been rotted by the action of a fungus 

 just above the surface of the ground. Professor George Massee 

 writes about this fungus as follows (as above cited) : "If the 

 lower portion of a diseased stem is placed in a bottle containing a 

 small quantity of water and allowed to remain for two or three 

 days, its surface will present a white mealy appearance, caused by 

 the fungus which has produced its fruit on the surface of the stem. 

 Of course the same happens if the stem remains standing, only the 

 white spores are blown away by the wind or washed off by rain as 

 soon as mature ; consequently the fungus is not so conspicuous as 

 when protected from wind and rain in a bottle. If a minute por- 



