TREE PEONIES 



Japanese varieties and who grafts them upon 

 herbaceous roots. 



The method of grafting known in China since 

 about 1000 A.D., and followed there and in France, 

 and also in this country by some enthusiasts who 

 grow tree peonies, is the best. Seeds of herba- 

 ceous peonies — P. albiflora — are sown in large 

 quantities to furnish roots. A good piece of root, 

 about the size of one's middle finger, is selected 

 and slit from the crown downwards for about two 

 inches. The scion from the tree peony should have 

 at least two eyes. It is cut in the shape of a wedge 

 and after being fitted with exactness into the slit, 

 is bound in the usual way. The grafted root is 

 placed in a deep pot of soil, with one eye of the 

 moutan scion below the surface. The pot is then 

 placed in a frame. 



The grafting should be done in August or 

 September so that the stock will develop roots 

 before the Winter. After a season's growth in 

 the cold frame the peony may be planted out and 

 cultivated the same as an established plant. In 

 this way the tree peony in time develops its own 

 roots, and does not cause annoyance by suckering. 



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