372 



CASSELL'8 POPULAR GARDEXIXG. 



said that these Chinese had a yellow variety, also one 

 with black flowei's, and a double blue one, which, 

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

 garden. The latter produced blooms of extraordinary 

 size, each having from 100 to 1,000 petals. "NMien 

 China was partially opened to foreigners in 1842, a 

 search was made for these famous ]Moutans, and 

 many fine kinds — more than thirt}', we believe — 

 were discovered and introduced into England. 

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

 or true blue : but 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 3Ioutan 

 amongst the Chinese — 

 while another was 

 straw - coloured, and 

 was called the Yellow 

 jVIoutan. 'Most of the 

 flowers 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." AVe owe the in- 

 troduction of these 



new varieties to that enterprising traveller, the late 

 Mr. Robert Fortune. 



The Common Pteony is a hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nial, the foliage dying down to the ground in the 

 autumn. The Moutan Pteony is a tree, shedding its 

 leaves during the winter, and unless occupying a 

 suitable position, likely to be injured by severe frosts. 

 If the sunmier 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 warai 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 Pfeonies. The 

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

 not disagree with a slight infusion of peat, though 

 that is not necessary. For yormg plants a compost 



made up of well-roi-ted turf and leaf mould is ver-^ 

 suitable. INIoutan Paeonies can be propagated by 

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

 precaution should be adopted to induce a %-igorous 

 growth, for then the flowers are certain to be very 

 fine. 



The following is a selection of choice varieties oi 

 Moutan Paeonies: — 



Alba lilaciua. 

 Blanche Noisette. 

 Cannesina pleuissima, 

 Candida. 

 Elizabeth. 

 Fragrans plena. 

 Horatiana. 



Tkee P5:oxt (Double Flower 



Incarnata plena. 

 Lactea. 



Madame de Vatry. 

 Maxima plena. 

 Moutan, double. 

 Osiris., 



Purpurea violacea. 

 Queen. 



Eeiue des Fleurs. 

 Robert Fortune. 

 Speciosissima. 

 Splendens. 

 SteUa. 



Triomplie de Milan. 



Van Houttei. 



Tille de Yersailles. 



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 originally 

 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 gi'eater portion of which are worthless for decora- 

 tive purposes, though som.e of them can be met with 

 in country and cottage, and especially what are termed 

 old-fashioned gardens. These are mostly tall, gawk^- 

 things, though they flower ver^' 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 dying away in winter, but renewed by youns: 

 growths in spring, and they do well in any ordinary 

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

 the plants and flowers alike. Any variety can be 

 larcclv increased bv division of the roots, or bv cut- 



