74 GARDEN GUIDE 



transferred in the Spring many of the feeding roots will be torn from 

 the plants. The roots of the Peony are thick, ahnost no fibrous roots 

 being formed; instead, very fine, deUcate feeding roots start from the 

 main roots. 



The plants should be planted at least three feet apart and the 

 crowns should be buried three inches below the surface. If they are 

 planted too shallow the Winter frosts will heave them from the soil. 

 A Winter mulch'of from four to six inches of well decayed manure will 

 also prevent this injury. When the plants have finished blooming, 

 the cultivation must not be neglected since they must make a good 

 growth £uid mature their foliage, else the crop of bloom for the next 

 year will suffer. Every eight or ten years the Peony should be divided 

 and replanted; It takes two or three years for a commercial three- to 

 five-eyed root to throw characteristic blooms. 



DiSBUDDnvG. The albiflora varieties produce many buds in a 

 cluster; if the best size blooms are preferred, aU but the main or crown 

 bud should be removed while they are yet small. Some weaker growing- 

 varieties are especially benefited by this practice. Single varieties 

 axe not disbudded. 



Staking. Certeiin very floriferous varieties will need some 

 sort of support. One of the best and most permanent methods is to 

 biiild a rack of woodover the Peony border and train the young shoots 

 inside of this rack. For individual plants there is no better way than 

 to use a barrel hoop supported on three uprights. 



Diseases. There axe several diseases which attack the leaves, 

 buds and stems. They are etisily kept in check by spraying with 

 Bordeaux mixture when the plants first start into growth in the 

 Spring. Besides this, the diseased parts and aR stems should be 

 burned each Fall, for only by careful sanitation can the trouble be 

 lessened. 



THE CANNA 



These handsome subjects mark a wonderful development by the 

 .plant breeder. At first the Cannas were only prized as a foUage plant; 

 the petals were narrow and the flower was very unattractive. Now 

 we have an excellent series of wonderful Cemnas with superbly colored 

 gigantic flowers, aU of which are of ^easy culture and great value for 

 the garden, where they are planted in formal beds or mixed in the 

 perennial border. 



Starting Cannas. Early in April the roots, whicli have been 

 stored during the Winter, are best cut up so that there are one to three 

 buds or eyes on each piece. They can then be planted in boxes of sand 

 or sandy soil and placed in a light window. If the season is la^e ^d 



