THE BOOK OF THE PEONY 



sumably after the revolution of 1848 and the de- 

 thronement of Louis Philippe. Verdier had pro- 

 duced some new varieties prior to this date, but 

 sixteen of his best kinds — still offered by growers 

 to-day — were put out between 1855 and 1861. 

 One of Verdier's most noted peonies is the incom- 

 parable Marie Jacquin. 



Comte de Cussy was an enthusiastic amateur 

 who started with importations from China and 

 raised from them a number of distinctive varieties. 

 It was from his large collection in other hands 

 that a very high development of the peony was 

 subsequently reached. About 1850, M. Calot, of 

 Douai, acquired the collection of the Comte. 

 From then until 1872, with rare imagination and 

 diligence he originated over twenty new kinds, 

 many of which are greatly prized in gardens now. 

 Among them are Philomele (1861), Solfatare 



(1861) — until the introduction of Primevere, the 

 nearest approach in a hybrid to a yellow peony ; 

 the exquisite Duchesse de Nemours (1856), 

 Madame Lemonier (1860), Eugenie Verdier 



(1864) , Madame Crousse ( 1866) , Couronne d'Or 



(1872), La Tulipe (1872), Monsieur Dupont 



(1872). 



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