THE BOOK OF THE PEONY 



age, bought from others will cost as much as sixty 

 cents. The plants listed may both be true to 

 name, but there are probably differences in the 

 quality of the root which determine the price. 

 X's root at sixty cents will begin to bloom pos- 

 sibly the first season, and surely the second season 

 after planting, whereas Y's cheaper root may 

 and probably will not be vigorous enough to bloom 

 until the third or fourth year. And there is no 

 certainty that it will be a fine strong flower when 

 it does appear at last. 



Three experiences recounted from notes in my 

 garden book may be of interest from several 

 angles. 



1. Some years ago I bought from a general 

 nurseryman and seedsman a dozen peony roots of 

 standard varieties. As his roses and seeds had 

 been most satisfactory, I ordered peonies from 

 his catalogue without further thought. Two years 

 after planting only one flower bloomed on each 

 of two of the plants. At the end of three years 

 these same two plants bore several flowers apiece. 

 At the end of four years the remaining ten roots, 

 which had not produced a solitary bloom in all 

 this time, were pulled up, examined and destroyed. 



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