424- Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 



Clapham. It is unnecessary here to add the account given of 

 this highly valued tribe of plants by the nurserymen at Can- 

 ton ; it is even more extravagant than that given by the author 

 of the Memoirs sur la Chine. Among; other marvellous 

 stories, they assert that there is a double blue, which is the 

 most valuable of all, and only possessed by the emperor, and 

 that there are some haying one hundred petals, some one 

 thousand ! &c. The Chinese mode of propagation is only 

 two, — by seeds, and by dividing the roots. Mr. Sabine ad- 

 vises those who may visit and wish to buy plants at Canton, 

 to furnish themselves with drawings of the plants wanted ; this 

 is particularly necessary in regard to the plant we are now 

 treating of, because the Txia coccinea is 

 called the Canton Moutan. Collecting by 

 drawings was the plan adopted by the col- 

 lector sent out by Mr. Slater. The next 

 thing is having proper lists, with the English 

 pronunciation of the Chinese names, and, 

 which is better still, the Chinese character, 

 if it can be had ; and in case it should be of 

 any use, we shall add a figure of the word 

 Moutan, as written in Chinese." {Jig. 124.) 

 —J. M. 



The Tree Pasonies enumerated and described by Mr. Sabine, 

 are, 



1. Paeonia Moutan pa- 4. P. M. rosea semiplena 7. P. M. carnea plena 

 paveracea 5. P. M. rdsea plena . 8. P. M. albida plena 



2. P. M. Banksw 6. P. ilf.Rawesii * 9. P. M. Anneslei. 

 5. P. M Hume? 



Some of these perfect their seeds, from which there is 

 no doubt many new varieties may be obtained. They may 

 also be propagated by cuttings; but layers, or parting the 

 root, is perhaps the most successful way. Sometimes P. M. 

 papaveracea is grafted on the roots of the common Moutan. 



55. Report on the Effect produced on certain Plants in the Gar- 

 den of the Horticultural Society by the Frost which occurred 

 during the Night of April 29. 1826. By Mr. John Lindley, 

 F.L.S. Assistant Secretary. 



Some weeks of favourable weather had produced a general 

 and vigorous vegetation, and a frost of unexpected severity 

 showed in a remarkable manner the different capacities of 

 plants for withstanding cold. A list is given of about eighty 

 species which were variously affected, but from which no 

 general conclusions can as yet be drawn. Plants from similar 

 countries, and Mr. Lindley remarks, of " similar physiological 

 structure," are very differently affected by frost. Perhaps, 



