MAY 75 



strong, sweet smell, something like a mixture of the 

 scents of Rose and Tulip. 



Then there are the old garden Pseonies, the double 

 varieties of P. officiTudis. They are in three distinct 

 colourings — ^fult rich crimson, crimson-rose, and pale 

 pink changing to dull white. These are the earliest to 

 flower, and with them it is convenient, from the garden 

 point of view, to class some of the desirable species. 



Some years ago my friend Mr. Barr kindly gave 

 me a set of the Paeony species as grown by him. I 

 wished to have them, not for the sake of making a 

 collection, but in order to see which were the ones 

 I should like best to grow as garden flowers. In 

 due time they grew into strong plants and flowered. 

 A good many had to be condemned because of the 

 raw magenta colour of the bloom, one or two only 

 that had this defect being reprieved on account of 

 their handsome foliage and habit. Prominent among 

 these was P. decora, with bluish foliage handsomely 

 displayed, the whole plant looking strong and neat 

 and well-dressed. Others whose flower-colour I cannot 

 commend, but that seemed worth growing on account 

 of their rich masses of handsome fohage, are P. triternata 

 and P. Broteri. Though small in size, the light red 

 flower of P. Idbata is of a beautiful colour. P. tenuifolia, 

 in both single and double form, is an old garden 

 favourite. P. wittmanniana, with its yellow-green 

 leaves and tender yellow flower, is a gem; but it is 

 rather rare, and probably uncertain, for mine, alas! 



