Chap. VII. FLOWER-SHOPS AND FLOWERS. 



121 



It was now the middle of January, and the depth 

 of winter in the north of China. The Chinese new 

 year was approaching; it fell on the 24th, and all 

 the natives were busily employed in collecting their 

 debts and arranging their books. It is considered a 

 great disgrace to have outstanding debts at the begin- 

 ning of the year. Merchants and shopkeepers will 

 often make considerable sacrifices in order to raise 

 money at this season, and hence foreigners generally 

 consider this a good time to make cheap purchases. 

 These purchases must all be made before new year s 

 day, as then the shops are closed, and little or no 

 business is transacted for a week ; after which trade 

 begins again as before. At this festive season flowers 

 are as much sought after here for the purposes of 

 decoration as they are at home at Christinas time. 

 On visiting some of the flower-shops in Shanghae, in 

 the middle of January, I was surprised to find a 

 great many flowers which had been forced into bloom 

 and were now exposed for sale. I was not previously 

 aware that the practice of forcing flowers was common 

 in China. Many plants of Magnolia purpurea were 

 in full flower ; as were also many kinds of double- 

 blossomed peaches, the pretty little Prunus sinensis 

 alba, and a variety of camellias. But what struck 

 me as most remarkable was the facility with which 

 the Moutan Paeony had been brought into full bloom. 

 Several varieties of this plant were in full flower; 

 and at this season of the year, when everything out 

 of doors was cold and dreary, they had a most lively 

 effect. Their blooms were tied up, to keep them 



