HISTORY OF THE P.EONY PLANT IN CHINA AND JAPAN. 
109 
ends : if this practice be followed, no pruning will be required in the winter, beyond cutting 
out the old worn-out wood. 
If a bouse is appropriated to the growth of this fruit, the temperature, at the com- 
mencement of forcing, may be about 45° or 50°, and should be allowed to rise gradually, 
as the trees develope themselves, much in the same manner as for Vines ; the treatment 
of which (with the exception of the Fig requiring more moisture) may be taken as a rule. 
NOTES RELATING TO THE HISTORY, DISTRIBUTION, AND CULTIVA- 
TION OF THE PiEONY IN CHINA AND JAPAN. 
Translated from Original Chinese Works , into Dutch , by D. I. Hoffman , of Leyden; and again translated from 
the Dutch , by Mr. Polman Mooy , of Haarlem. 
HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE PAEONY IN JAPAN. 
(Continued from Page 89.) 
Of Botan roots’ bark for medical purposes, the provinces of Yamasiro and Yamato bring 
the largest supply to market, and the district of Nara, in Yamato, produces the most 
esteemed flowers, from whence the plants are distributed all over the country ; and not 
seldom, the wealthy individuals lay out some hundred ounces of silver, for the purchase of 
one single plant. In consequence of the continual raising of new flowers, the number of 
different varieties at present, amount to one thousand, the names of which, space will not 
allow us to mention.* The most esteemed of recent date is the one called Thousand-petals, 
being very full, double, and of a vigorous habit ; its flowers are furnished with the most 
brilliant scarlet of the Granate-flower ( Punica Granatum,) and measures six-tenths to eight- 
tenths of a foot (18 to 24 centimetres) across, and its pistillum is of a solid substance ; as in 
succession to the foregoing, the white sort in point of beauty must be done justice to. 
Amongst the most striking varieties, belongs one with purple white-striped flowers ; 
another with flowers pure white about the base of the petals, and red at the edge ; also 
the black Paeony, Kuro botan, the “Winter Paeony,” f &c., &c. Generally speaking, the 
white and red self-coloured varieties are much more esteemed than the variegated coloured 
ones ; pure yellow sorts have however, up to the present time, not made their appearance, 
which the Chinese author See Chaou Ching also states, bringing, however, into question 
what colour Ngan Yang Sew, (the author of the “ Chinese Monograph of the Paeony ”) may 
have alluded to, when using the word Hioang, “ yellow,” mentioning the yellow varieties, 
Yao and Neiv kia,\ grown by the nurserymen. 
TREATISE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE PAEONY AFTER JAPANESE GARDENERS’ 
MANUALS AND VARIOUS OTHER WORKS. 
The Preparation of the Bed.— In preparing the Paeony bed, the nature of the soil as 
to its moisture and drainage ought to be a point of particular consideration. It ought to 
be observed that this plant prefers a cold climate, and extremely dislikes any degree of 
heat. A rather dry soil proves beneficial to its growth, and it cannot resist any super- 
fluous moisture, which particularly proves destructive to the red-blooming sorts ; for the plant, 
when once attacked with rot about the roots, not seldom suddenly dies away. Nothing 
so much improves the vigour of its growth as a supply of fresh and well-manured soil, and 
* The “Gardener’s Manual,” before mentioned, “ Kwa dan daizen,” contains a catalogue and description of 18 white, 
42 red, and 10 pale purple- coloured Japanese varieties. 
I The Winter Paeony (Jap. Fngu botan , or Kan botan) flowers from the 10th to the 12th month, (from November 
to January). The “ Jap. Almanack,” “ Gwats reifak buts zen," tom, x., p. 21. 
t To be compared with what has before been stated. 
