Chap. XIX. 



THE MOUTAjST. 



323 



in England. Our nurserymen always complain that 

 they cannot propagate it with facility, and conse- 

 quently this fine flower is invariably high in price. 

 The Chinese method is as follows : — 



In the beginning of October large quantities of the 

 roots of a herbaceous pseony are seen heaped up in 

 sheds and other outhouses, and are intended to be 

 used as stocks for the moutan. The bundle of tubers 

 which forms the root is pulled to pieces, and each of 

 the finger-like rootlets forms a stock upon which the 

 moutan is destined to be grafted. Having thrown a 

 large number of these rootlets upon the potting bench, 

 the scions are then brought from the plants which it 

 is desirable to increase. Each scion used is not more 

 than li inch or 2 inches in length, and is the point 

 of a shoot formed, during the bygone summer. Its 

 base is cut in the form of a wedge, and inserted in 

 the crown of the finger-like tuber. This is tied up 

 or clayed round in the usual way, and the operation 

 is completed. When a large number of plants have 

 been prepared in this manner they are taken to the 

 nursery, where they are planted in rows about a foot 

 and a half apart, with the same distance between the 

 rows. In planting, the bud or point of the scion is 

 the only part which is left above ground ; the point 

 between the stock and scion, where the union is des- 

 tined to take place, is always buried beneath the sur- 

 face. Ksempfer states that the Chinese propagate 

 the moutan by budding ; but this must be a mistake, 

 as budding is never practised in the country, and is 

 not understood. He was probably deceived by the 



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