P^ONIi 



BUTTERCUP OBDEB 



PiEONIA 171 



Sir William Harcourt, rich glowing 

 crimson, a very bright colour, taU grower. 



Superbissimus, rich carmine, tall. 



Besides the double-flowered Pseonies 

 there are also many handsome forms 

 with single flowers. Names have been 

 given to several by specialists, but it is 

 better to consult catalogues, as new ones 

 are constantly being added. 



TREE PEONIES 



p. lutea. — This is a new and remark- 

 able species from Yunnan, China, and 

 was introduced to Paris in 1887. Being 

 of a woody nature, it now shares with 

 P. Moutan the distinction of being a Tree 

 PsBony. It is much dwarfer in growth 

 than P. Moutan, and has paler green 

 leaves with much more divided and 

 pointed lobes, the secondary stalks being 

 winged instead of channelled. The 

 yellow flowers appear at the end of May 

 and during Jtme, and seem to be more 

 profusely borne when the plants are 

 grafted than when on their own roots. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is not yet well known, and but 

 little can be said of its behaviour out of 

 doors in cultivation. It is probably 

 hardy in the mild southern and western 

 districts, but would require protection in 

 less favourable parts. The stems may be 

 grafted in the same way as recommended 

 below for P. Moutam, and the stocks 

 mentioned there, as well as P. coralUna, 

 would probably give satisfactory results. 

 This species may also be raised from 



P. Moutan {Moutam:, or Tree Pceony). 

 A fine shrubby much-branched species 

 3-4 ft. high, native of China and Japan. 

 The smooth leaves are cut into oblong 

 acute segments, and in a young state 

 assume many shades of colour, from purple- 

 crimson to green. The very large and 

 handsome flowers appear in May, and 

 have a wide range of colour, white, rose, 

 salmon, lilac, scarlet, magenta, violet &c. 

 being represented. 



Culture and Propagation. — Tree 

 Pffionies like to grow in a good strong, 

 more or less sandy loam, and being very 

 gross feeders, they may with great ad- 

 vantage be given occasional mulchings of 

 well-rotted cow-manure. 



The shrubby varieties of the P. Moutan 



may be increased by cuttings taken in 

 summer with a piece of the older weU- 

 ripened stem attached, and inserted singly 

 in small pots with sandy soil, and placed 

 in a cold, shaded frame or greenhouse. 

 They must also be protected from frost in 

 winter. These shrubby varieties are also 

 grafted on the stout fleshy roots of such 

 herbaceous kinds as P. alhiflora and P. 

 officmaUs. The grafts are taken late in 

 summer or early autumn, and should be 

 without flower buds. Having united the 

 graft to the root by inserting it in a slit of 

 the latter, and binding the junction, the 

 whole should then be potted and plunged, 

 so as to cover up the graft a little, in 

 ordinary soU, placed in a cold frame, and 

 shaded until the union has become com- 

 plete. Air may then be admitted, but the 

 plants are best left undisturbed until 

 spring. They may then be grovni on in 

 pots or transferred to the open border as 

 required. 



In some parts of the country Tree- 

 Pffionies suffer more or less from the 

 spring frosts, especially if the previous 

 summer has not been favourable enough 

 to thoroughly ripen the growths. Some 

 of the many varieties are more tender 

 than others, and in such cases a little 

 shelter by means of a glass frame would 

 save the young growths and flowers in 

 spring. 



Tree Paeonies are often grown in pots, 

 and are placed in greenhouses so that 

 they may bloom by February. Forcing 

 the plants out of their natural season of 

 flowering, however, exhausts them a good 

 deal, and plants thus treated can be 

 used successfully for such a purpose only 

 about every third year. If grown in pots 

 with very rich soil, and placed in a cold 

 greenhouse or cold frame for protection. 

 Tree Pseonies will flower earlier than 

 those planted out, the blooms will be 

 much cleaner and finer, and the plants 

 will not undergo any severe strain. 



The following are among some of the 

 best varieties grown : — 



Antigonus, French white and lilac ; 

 cceleatis, soft lilac ; Margaret Attwood, 

 pure white, with a yellow centre ; The 

 MiJcado, rose and deep yellow; Luna,. 

 white ; Mammoth, pink ; Morris, soft 

 rose ; Jupiter, salmon ; Duhamel, hlac- 

 rose ; Mdme. Battier, cream and flesh 

 colour. 



