shown in bloom I particularly noticed the grace of 

 the individual flowers on their long, firm stems. 

 The singles I certainly find more graceful and some- 

 what more intere^ing than the doubles, and in a 

 measure more artistic. However we admire all of 

 them whether they are double or single, and so we 

 should S& S& 



^ To produce them at their be^ that we may enjoy 

 all their richly and delicately tinted blooms we 

 must plant them properly and give them the 

 culture that is so necessary. They cannot possibly 

 thrive in poor soil, it must be rich and mellow. 

 Peonies will succeed in full sunshine or semi-shade, 

 but as they make their new growth in the early 

 Spring, a time when we frequently have late frosts, 

 a position should be selected where they will not be 

 subjecfted to the rays of the early morning sun, 

 which naturally will injure any new growth that 

 may have been slightly nipped by frost. Essential 

 are deeply dug holes, good drainage and finely 

 screened soil with which should be incorporated 

 one quarter of rotted stable manure. Peonies revel 

 in humus, and love to wander deeply, and to 

 really obtain the best results the holes should be 

 made at least three (3) feet deep. Please see that 

 they are firmly planted, with the " eyes " one or 

 two inches below the surface. 

 ^ 1 give my peonies, each one of them, a full thirty 

 inches of space and never attempt division of the 

 roots until they have been established at least 

 five years. It is a mistake, too often made, to 

 divide moderate sized clumps of roots after the 

 second or third year. By doing so we never can 



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