For April, 1922 



111 



The Peony 



BERTRAND H. FARR 



Its Cl'ltuaiion 



TIIlv cultivation of peonies is so simple and their re- 

 (|uirenients so little, that, it seems to me, their very 

 simplicity is the most difficult point to make clearly 

 understood. People who wish to raise extra choice ex- 

 hibition blooms, often make the mistake of cuddling and 

 overfeeding, to the extent of actual injury, instead of 

 betterment of the plants. 



1 know of no class of plants that will give such great 

 returns, for so little care and labor expended on them, 

 as peonies. Absolutelv hardy evervwhere, without pro- 

 tection, they have only to be planted in congenial soil, 

 where they will start of¥ for an annual circle of bloom, 

 increasing in beauty for many years, with no further 

 attention than an occasional cultivation of the ground 

 around the clumps, and a to]) dressing of well-rotted 

 manure applied in the late Fall, which should be raked 

 ofl: of the crowns in Spring, and worked into the adjacent 

 soil. This top dressing is not necessary as a matter of 

 Winter protection, but the peony is a gross feeder and 

 rtell repays careful feeding by increased size and abun- 

 dance of bloom. 



It must be borne in mind, however, that manure or 

 strong fertilizer of any kind should never be allowed to 

 come into direct contact with the roots. The best fer- 

 tilizers are well-rotted cow manure or bone meal. Hard- 

 wood ashes used as a top dressing are also beneficial, but 

 it is far better that no fertilizer at all be used than that 

 it be overdone. 



Any good soil, where you would reasonably expect to 

 grow a good tomato, corn or potato plant, will grow 

 peonies. This you would not expect to do in the vicinity 

 I if large trees or shrubs whose roots permeate and appro- 

 priate all of the moisture and nourishment of the soil. We 

 make it a rule never to replant peonies in the .same 

 ground where they have been previously grown, unless 

 after an interval of several years. For nursery planting, 

 an old pasture or grass field plowed down makes an ideal 

 location, provided there is drainage sufficient to carry ofif 

 surplus water, high land being preferable to low or me- 

 dium land. In a heavv clay loam the roots take a longer 

 time to reach full maturity, but the blooms are larger, 

 colors brighter and endure longer than in a verv light, 

 sandy or shale soil, in which the blooms come earlier, 

 fade earlier and colors are not so intense. 



Proi^\g.'\tion 



The only practical way of propagating varieties 

 of peonies is by division of the roots, ' separating 

 the individual roots from the crov\n of the clump with a 

 strong, sharp knife, being careful to cut so that each 

 division has from two to three strong eyes, with two or 

 three roots, three or four inches long, large enough to sup- 

 port the growth of the eyes, until a system of new roots 

 is formed. Plant so that the eyes are two or three inches 

 below the surface (too deep planting is injurious). 



Any time in the year when the ground is not frozen, 

 peonies may be moved successfully, except from the time 

 the buds begin to form until the foliage is matured and 

 the new- roots complete their growth, about the middle 

 of August. The very best time is in .September and 

 early October. The growth then is fully completed, and 

 the roots are in a dormant state. Planted then, the new 

 feeding roots soon begin to form, and strong roots almost 

 invariably bloom the following June. Xovember and De- 

 cember planting is perfectly safe, but bloom must not be 



expected the first year, and early Spring is as good a 

 time to plant as very laie l''all. If one cannot plant in 

 -SejJtember or October, it becomes merely a matter of 

 convenience whether to plant in Fall or Spring, 



When once planted, let them alone for as many years 

 as they seem tn thrive, only dividing and replanting when 

 the plants show indications of deterioration : unless for 

 the purpose of increasing the stock which is another mat- 

 ter. For the jntrpose of propagating, they should be 

 divided every third year, but for garden effect peonies 

 usually reach perfection the fourth year, continuing in 

 good condition several years longer, and in man\' in- 

 stances old clumps fifteen to twenty years of age continue 

 to thrive. -\s a general rule, however, eight years is 

 about the limit. 



When the chimps begin to show the necessity for re- 

 planting, it is best to start a.gain at the beginning with 

 small divisions of clean, smooth roots with three or four 

 eyes, forcing the plant to begin again, and form an en- 

 tirely new root system. Divisions consisting of large 

 chunks of old crowns simply lie inactive in the ground 

 and sometimes decay entirely. It is a common mistake 

 to purchase old, heavy clumps, with the expectation of 

 getting immediate effect and better results. For the first 

 year probably one may, but never thereafter. 



DlSE.\SES 



The peony has always been considered singidarly free 

 from diseases or insect pests, and to all intents and pur- 

 poses, as far as the amateur is concerned, this is still 

 true. There are two troubles, however, which within 

 the last few years have given rise to a great deal of dis- 

 cussion, most of wdiich I believe has been misleading, and 

 since scientists at a number of experiment stations where 

 investigations have been undertaken, do not fully agree 

 upon the nautre or the cause of the trouble, and do not 

 suggest a remedy, I will simply state my own experiences 

 and conclusions, which I feel sure will tend to allav anv 

 needless apprehension on the part of the amateur 

 gardener. 



In certain seasons under favorable conditions peonies 

 are subject to fungous attacks manifested first by black 

 spots on the leaves ; second, by a blighting of the buds 

 when half-opened, or the decaying of the half-opened 

 buds at the base of the petals, deforming the flower; 

 third, the extension of the fungous growth down the 

 stem, sometimes its entire length, causing what is com- 

 monly called "stem rot," which in severe cases e.xtends 

 down into the roots. Sometimes the stem is first affected, 

 causing it to "damp off" and wilt. The conditions favor- 

 able to the spread of fungus seem to be moist, humid 

 weather, wnth frequent showers, followed bv hot sun- 

 shine. It may be quite severe one season and disapjiear 

 entirely the following season, and unless the roots ihcm-. 

 selves are affected, there seems to be no permanent in- 

 jury, and it is only in a few sections where serious barm 

 has been done, and where I believe the same soil condition 

 and overfeeding, which I have previously explained, have 

 something to do wnth it.. Spraying with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture as a preventative has been recommended. Where 

 roots are badly affected it is best to replant them in per- 

 fectly fresh, sweet soil, free from manure, cutting away 

 all affected parts. 



The other trouble is variously known as "Nematodes 

 or Eel worms," "Club roots," "Lemoine Disease," etc. 

 There has been much discussion and difference- of opin- 



