372 



CASSELL'S POPULAE GARDENING. 



9aid that these Chinese had a yello-w variety, also one 

 with hlaok flowers, and a double blue one, which, 

 however, was only to he met with in the Emperor's 

 garden. The latter produced blooms of extraordinary 

 size, each having from 100 to 1,000 petals. When 

 China was partially opened to foreigners in 1842, a 

 search was made for these famous Moutans, and 

 many fine kuids — more than thirty, we believe — 

 were discovered and introduced into England. 

 Amongst these, it was true, there was no real yellow 

 or true blue ; hut there were dark and light purples, 

 lilacs, and many shades of red of great beauty. One 

 was almost black in colour — indeed, it was known as 

 the Black Moutan 

 amongst the Chinese — 

 while another was 

 straw - coloured, and 

 was called the Yellow 

 "Moutan. Most of the 

 llowers of these plants 

 were very double, and 

 one at least was sweet- 

 scented. Some of 

 these varieties produce 

 flowers of unusual 

 size, and were their 

 petals counted they 

 might prove as numer- 

 ous as those of the 

 plant of the Emperor's 

 garden above referred 

 to.'' We owe the in- 

 troduction of these 



now varieties to that enterprising traveller, the late 

 Mr. Eobert Fortune. 



The Common Pseouy is a hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nial, the foliage dying down to the ground in the 

 autumn. The Moutan Pieony is a tree, shedding its 

 leaves during the winter, and unless occupying a 

 suitable position, likely to be injured by severe frosts. 

 If the summer proves cold and wet, the wood is im- 

 perfectly ripened, and when the severe winter follows, 

 the constitution of the plants is impaired. On dry 

 gravelly soils they form stately plants, and we have 

 seen them used with great effect planted singly on 

 lawns. Here they flower freely, and are objects of 

 conspicuous beauty. In early spring, when the 

 young shoots are being put forth, they are liable to 

 injury from frost. All that is wanted is a slight 

 protection in spring, a warm summer to ripen the 

 wood, and cold in winter, so that the plants may 

 go completely to rest. Cold situations and windy 

 comers are not the places for Moutan Pseonies. The 

 plant seems to love a fresh strong loam ; and it does 

 not disagree with a slight infusion of peat, though 

 tnat is not necessary. For young plants a compost 



made up of well-rotted turf and leaf mould is verr 

 suitable. Moutan Pseonies can be propagated by 

 layers, or by pulling to pieces an uld plant; and every 

 precaution should be adopted to induce a vigorous^ 

 growth, for then the flowers are certain to be very 

 fine. 



The following is a selection of choice varieties of. 

 Moutan Peonies: — 



Alba lilaciua. 

 Blanche Noisette. 

 Carmesina pleuidsima, 

 Candida. 

 Elizabeth. 

 Fragrans plena. 

 Horatiaua. 



Tkee Pa:oNY (Double Floweh), 



Incamata plena. 



Lactea. 



Madame de Vatry. 



Maxima plena. 



Moutan, double. 



Osiris. 



Purpurea violacea. 



Queen. 



Eeine des Fleurs. 



Eobert Fortune. 



Speciosissima. 



Splendens. 



Stella. 



Triomplie de Milan. 



"Van Houttei. 



Viile de Versailles. 



Yivid. 



Walmerii. 



Zenobia. 



Zariama. 



Michaelmas- 



Daisies These are 



really perennial As- 

 ters, or Starworts, 

 and Aster means a. 

 star. They are called 

 Starworts because the 

 florets are collected to- 

 gether on a receptacle, 

 as in the case of the 

 Daisy or Dahlia, and the rays of their circumference 

 resemble stars. They are doubtless called Michael- 

 mas Daisies because they flower in August and Sep- 

 tember, and right on into the autumn. They are 

 none of them indigenous to this country, but have 

 come from different parts of Europe and other places, 

 and of late years many fine varieties of origihaUy 

 introduced species have been raised in this country^ 

 There is now a large group of perennial Asters, con- 

 taining more than a hundred species and varieties, 

 the greater portion of which are worthless for decora- 

 tive purposes, though some of them can be met with 

 in country and cottage, and especially what are termed 

 old-fashioned gardens. These are mostly tall, gawky- 

 things, though they flower very abundantly in 

 autumn. But some of them, and especially more re- 

 cently-raised varieties, are excellent autumn-bloom- 

 ing plants. They are all herbaceous perennials, their 

 foliage djTng away in winter, but renewed by young 

 growths in spring, and they do well in any ordinary 

 garden soil, though the richer it is the flner will be 

 the plants and flowers alike. Any variety can ba 

 largely increased by division of the roots, or by cut- 



