WHERE TO PLANT 



and during the blooming season, excessive moist- 

 ure at any time is most injui-ious to it. To ob- 

 tain the best results it is desirable that ample 

 watering facilities should be easily available. 



In some cases where perfectly sound peonies 

 have been planted in poorly drained soil, they 

 have been attacked and damaged by a destructive 

 worm or grub; when the roots were lifted, freed 

 of the worms, divided and replanted in well 

 drained soil the plants regained health. In many 

 instances of standing water the roots have rotted 

 away entirely: "disappeared" as one surprised 

 and indignant gardener said. At the other 

 extreme, a hard dry soil is almost equally 

 undesirable. 



The planting of peonies very near trees or 

 building foundations is not a good practice. 

 Under trees the shade is frequently dense and the 

 tree roots, accurately described as voracious, rob 

 the peonies of both food and water. Close to 

 building foundations not only is the ground dry, 

 but the roots are subject to roof drippings and 

 snow drifts. To expect peonies, even with their 

 hardy constitutions, to bloom under such condi- 

 tions is really asking too much of them. 



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