P.^0 



415 



P MO 



"From Single Eyes. — Any time when i they never flower well, as they always 

 the plant is in a dormant state, cut ofT| suffer from drought. But even in such 

 a branch ot" the two or three year old la situation they may be made to flower 

 wood, which has a quantity oTbuds upon ' by adding a quantity of well-rotted 

 it, and cut it into pieces of about two dung, and a little fresh loam, to the 

 inches in length, leaving a single bud [ soil. 



on each piece; then pot and treat them "Planting. — In planting them in the 

 in the same manner as grape-vines are open border the best time is the end of 

 when raised from single eyes; that is, October; but they may be removed at 

 plant them about two inches deep in any time except when they are either 

 pots filled with good rich soil, and place ! in flower or showing flower; but they 

 them in a gentle moist heat. Plants I will be liable to lose their flower-buds 

 raised in this way are good but small. | if they are transplanted after they com- 



" By grafting on the roots of the mence growing, 

 herbaceous kinds, as of P. officinalis ; | " They seldom suffer much from 

 but it is uncertain, and when it does ' moving if it is carefully performed in 

 succeed the plants are generally short- I the autumn ; for they may then be taken 

 lived, except when the grafted part is up from the open border, and potted 



placed sufficiently under the soil, 

 which case it frequently emits roots 

 from the base of the grail, and becomes 

 a healthy plant supported by its own 

 roots. 



" The operation of grafting is per- 

 formed in the following ways : — 



" Select some good tubers of the 

 herbaceous pa>onies — the Chinese P. 

 albijlora and its varieties are the best 

 — any time, early in spring, before the 

 plant commences growing. Then cut 

 off a small portion of the crown, and 

 slit the tuber, from the top and down- 

 wards, sufficiently deep to admit the 

 scion of the moutan-pa;ony, which 

 must be of the last season's wood, fit- 

 ting the bark of both well together, as 

 in the ordinary way of grafting; and 

 bind them tightly with strong matting. 

 Then pot them singly in pots deep 

 enough to cover the graft about an inch 

 with soil, and place them in a cold pit 

 or frame kept close, and give them but 

 little water at first. They may also be 

 grafted about the end of July or begin- 

 ning of August, using the young wood 

 of the current year in the same way as 

 the preceding ; but when they are 

 grafted and potted they must be placed 

 in a strong moist heat, and kept close 

 with a bell-glass, as the wood, being 

 rather soft, would soon perish if placed 

 in a cold pit or frame. 



"Soil. — It requires a strong rich 

 loamy soil, with plenty of moisture, 

 during the growing season: in swampy 

 situations they will soon perish if they 

 are in one when in a dormant state. 

 A deep loamy or strong soil, with a dry 

 subsoil, should be selected, and a light 

 dry sandy or poor soil avoided ; for in this 



for forcing them. Forcing requires 

 great caution as regards the heat ap- 

 plied : if not done gently, and the 

 plants allowed to make fresh roots be- 

 fore they are subjected to much heat, 

 they will invariably lose their flower- 

 buds during the time of forcing; and 

 they must only be subjected to a mo- 

 derate heat at any time — sixty degrees 

 — as they are very apt to get drawn up 

 weakly. 



" VVhen the forced plants have done 

 flowering they should be again planted 

 in the open border, cutting the principal 

 shoots back at the same time : they 

 will then be ready by autumn for repot- 

 ting, and fit for forcing again the follow- 

 ing spring. When potted they must be 

 well protected, in a cool pit, from the 

 frost. 



'^Culture. — When planted perma- 

 nently in the border they should have 

 an open situation which is not in the 

 least shaded by other plants, and they 

 will require a little more trouble except 

 shortening some of the longest of the 

 shoots before the spring, when they 

 must be slightly protected to preserve 

 theyoungshoots from injury by the frost, 

 which is easily done by placing a single 

 mat, or canvass covering, over them, at 

 a sufficient distance from the plant, so 

 as not to hurt the young shoots by pres- 

 sure. 



" The covering should be removed on 

 all fine days, but replaced during the 

 night. If the plants are small they may 

 be covered with a hand-glass during the 

 night ; they will then flower freely 

 during the early part of May, and the 

 colours will be more brilliant." — Card. 

 Ckron. 



