THE BOOK OF THE PEONY 



named Snowflake — the first peony to receive this 

 honour. 



About 1890, after a period of many years, 

 during which exotics and bedding plants were in 

 great demand, the newer and better varieties of 

 peony brought that flower into prominence again. 

 The successful work of French growers who de- 

 voted much time to hybridising the peony was 

 largely responsible for the revival of its fashion. 

 Since then the peony has gone forward rapidly 

 both in improvement and popularity. 



At the Royal Gardens at Kew and Glasnevin 

 and at Chiswick, there are large collections of 

 peonies for the enjoyment and education of the 

 public. At the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 Gardens at Wisley, a comparative trial, held 

 about 1896, is now (1916) being repeated with 

 the newest forms raised since then. The reports 

 will be published in the Journal of the Society. 



IN FRANCE 



The history of the peony in England is chiefly 

 the history of its cultivation in gardens from the 

 earliest time. In France the record of the im- 

 provement of the individual flower in recent years 



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