CHAP. I. banuncula'ce^. pjeo'nia. 253 



Exoticce, p. 862.) In Britain the tree peony is propagated by seeds, by divi- 

 sion of the root, by grafting, by summer budding, by layers, by cuttings, and 

 by single winter buds. 



Seeds. These are occasionally ripened by plants bearing single or semi- 

 double flowers. Mr. Curtis finds that seeds are produced by P. M. ^japa- 

 veracea in abundance. In England, plants were first raised in this way from 

 P. ikf. joapaveracea, at Arley Hall, the seat of the Earl of Mount Norris. They 

 have since been raised at several other places ; and, among these, at Glazen- 

 wood, where the seeds are sown as soon as gathered in the autumn, and while 

 some of them vegetate in the following spring, many of them remain a year 

 or more before they come up. At Hinchingbrook, it was found that the seeds 

 did not germinate till eighteen months after sowing. {Bot. Keg., 1771. ; Gard. 

 il/ag.,xi. p. 418.) 



Division of the Root. This operation is so simple, that it is unnecessary to 

 describe it. When tiie wounds made are large, it may be advisable to sear 

 them, or to cover them with grafting wax. It is necessary, for the success of 

 each divided portion of the main root, that some fibrous roots should be 

 attached to it when taken off. 



Grafting. This operation is performed on the roots of herbaceous peonies, 

 at any time from the beginning of September to the middle of March. Select 

 some good tubers of P. officinalis, or of any other hardy herbaceous kind, and 

 take oiF cuttings of P. Moidan papaveracea, or any other tJ"ee peony that it is 

 desired to increase. Then slit the tuber from the crown downwards about two 

 inches ; form the scion like a wedge ; insert it into the slit of the tuber, and 

 make the barks fit on one side as exactly as possible j then bind them well 

 together with strands of good bast matting; over which put one turn of brass 

 wire, to prevent the parts from separating after the strands of bast have de- 

 cayed. Put the tubers into pots deep enough to allow the mould to cover the 

 top of each tuber ; set them in a cold frame or pit ; keep them close, rather dry, 

 and defended from the sun during the first month, and from frost during winter. 

 When they have perfected one season's growth, turn them out, and treat them 

 like established plants. {Gard. AIag.,m. p. 293.) We are not aware of any 

 ligneous variety of peony having been grafted on any other variety of ligneous 

 peony. 



Budding. This mode, it is stated by Kaempfer, as quoted above, is prac- 

 tised by the Chinese, which is the more remarkable, as grafting is said to 

 have been unknown to that people till lately. We do not doubt its prac- 

 ticability, though we have never seen it tried. 



£i/ Lai/ei's. These are made of wood of the preceding year's growth, 

 either in autumn or spi-ing ; and tongued and pegged firmly under the soil, 

 between 2 in. and 3 in. They will throw down roots the first year ; but it is 

 generally found desirable, to let them remain two years before separating them 

 from the stool. When they are taken oiF, they should be potted, and kept in 

 pots till wanted for final planting. 



Pi/ Ringing, by Buds, and hy Cuttings. The following directions for these 

 modes'of propagation are taken from Maundies Botanic Garden: — "In February 

 select any of the stems of the Pseonia Moutan, or all may be used ; and, at 

 the distance of half an inch from the centre of each bud, both above and below 

 it, cut out entirely round the stem a small ring of the bark, rather more than 

 the sixteenth of an inch wide, in the manner of common ringing, as practised 

 on fruit trees. Thus every bud will occupy one inch of the stem, where the 

 direct continuation of the bark is obstructed, both above and below, by the 

 rings which have been cut out of it. The stems, so prepared, are then to be 

 laid horizontally about 3 in. beneath the soil, leaving only the leading bud at 

 the end of each branch above the surface. In six months every bud will have 

 made a vigorous shoot, and, in general, will have two radical fibres at its base. 

 In August, remove the soil from above the layers ; and, having raised the newly 

 made roots, carefully separate each young shoot from the main layer, by pass- 

 ing a small knife from one ring to the other, cutting out about one third part 

 of the old stem. The young plants should then be immediately potted, to 



