PLANTING AND CULTIVATION 



over the plants will prevent the drying out of 

 the feeding rootlets by the sun or wind. This 

 covering should be put on at once on unpacking, 

 and should not be removed until everything is 

 ready to place the root in the hole. 



The fleshy roots of an individual peony plant 

 vary in length. It is important that the hole 

 should be made large enough to receive them with- 

 out the stubbing or cramping of a single root. 

 As the roots of a plant receive their nourishment 

 from the soil, and not from each other or from 

 the air, they should be planted so as to present 

 to contact with the soil the greatest possible area. 

 It is a curious commentary on horticultural 

 human nature, and a fact to bear in mind, that all 

 gardeners seem to be passionately averse to dig- 

 ging holes of sufficient size to accommodate prop- 

 erly roots of any kind without crowding or 

 bending. 



The uppermost eyes of the roots are usually 

 placed between two and three inches below the 

 surface of the ground when levelled off. Three 

 inches is a better depth than two. One grower 

 of much experience advocates planting between 

 three and four inches deep. He finds that at this 

 depth the root is less susceptible to disease. It is 



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