CHINESE PEONIES. 



39 



CHINESE PEONIES. 

 By Rev. W. Wilks, M.A. 



The Paeony found so very commonly in gardens is Paeonia officinalis. It 

 has three well known double varieties — one a deep blood-crimson, another 

 dark rose fading paler, and one called white which opens a pale rose-pink 

 and gradually fades to a dingy, transparent white ; it is often known as 

 ' Adelaide.' Of these the first-mentioned is by far the best. All three 

 are comparatively common and have a distinctly unpleasant smell, 

 reminding one a little of crushed ' ladybirds.' 



Why, then, are the Chinese Paeonies so much less often met with ? Is 

 it that people do not know of them — do not know how many varieties 

 there are, and of what lovely colours and glorious form and pleasant scent ? 

 for most of them surpass the modern rose in fragrance. Or is it more 

 probable that people in this twentieth century are in such an impatient 

 hurry that they will not give the Chinese Paeony the time it needs to 

 establish itself and grow into the marvellously beautiful plant it will be- 

 come in four to five years from planting ? Their cultivation is of the very 

 easiest. They should be planted, only just below the surface, in the last 

 week in October or the first in November, in ground that has been double- 

 trenched, as they love to send down their thick, fleshy, tuberous roots deep 

 into the soil. Plenty of good rotten dung should be dug in in the trenching, 

 as, like roses, the soil can hardly be too rich for them. They want abundance 

 of room and light and air and moisture (but not undrained wetness), 

 but if sheltered from the prevailing wind the less will the blossoms suffer. 

 If grown, as they deserve to be, in beds, they should have a top dressing of 

 old rotten dung put on at the end of February, and if in at all a dry 

 position they should have plenty of water, with a little chemical manure 

 from the end of May till blooming time is over. To have fine flowers the 

 very weak shoots should be removed at an early stage of their growth ; 

 and later on the side-blossom buds should be removed from the strong 

 shoots that have been left,- as soon as they are negotiable. A well-grown 

 plant will require three or four short stakes on the outside of the clump, 

 with encircling tar twine, to prevent the heavy blooms bringing the whole 

 plant to the ground. 



Among the very best varieties are — 



1 Canari,' white with a faint tinge of yellow. 



' Charles Binder,' and ' Ceres,' very similar with pink guard petals 



and yellow and white centre. 

 ' Duchesse de Nemours,' the best white with ivory centre. It is often 



sold under the name of ' Whitleyi.' 

 1 Alba Superba,' the largest of all, loosely double and worthy of all the 



superlatives imaginable. (Fig. 12.) 

 ' Triomphe de l'Exposition de Lille,' silver-pink with yellow stamens, 



loosely double. 



