VARIETIES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS 



is lacking I have made no note. I have not in- 

 cluded any positively ill-smelling varieties except 

 Marie Jacquin, and there are some people who 

 consider it a fragrant peony, which brings us 

 back to where we started. 



Single varieties are usually lacking in per- 

 fume and frequently have a disagreeable odour. 

 Mr. A. H. Fewkes has made some very careful 

 observations and drawn some interesting conclu- 

 sions in this matter of fragrance in the peony. 

 He notes that sweet odour follows closely upon 

 the development in breeding of the stamens into 

 petals, and that the full double (rose type) is 

 the most fragrant. In the single and semi-double 

 varieties the pungence of the pollen overcomes 

 the fragrance of such few petals as there are. 

 Mr. Fewkes also calls attention to the fact that 

 colour has some mysterious influence upon per- 

 fume, and that the full double rose-pink varieties 

 are the most fragrant, while the single or semi- 

 double reds are inclined to be ill smelling, and 

 the full double reds, in most instances, lack odour 

 entirely.^ 



2 See Bulletin of Peony News, No. 2, published by 

 American Peony Society, May, 1916. 

 6 81 



