T H E G A R D E N M A G A Z I N E 
May, 1915 
2H 
and sweet, and keep the seed boxes wet 
but never soggy. 
A good compost consists of one part 
sharp sand, one part leaf-mold or ground 
peat, and one part soil free from manure 
contamination. Add a quantity of char- 
coal dust and mix thoroughly. The seed 
flat should be a foot square and three 
inches deep, with narrow cracks in the bot- 
tom. Cover the bottom with three quarters 
of an inch of broken charcoal lumps. 
Fill your flat full of loose compost after 
the drainage is in place. While the soil is 
still loose, press it once into each corner. 
Then smooth the soil off, level with the 
edges of the flat, by means of any conveni- 
ent straight edged stick. Press the soil 
down firmly and evenly with a flat block of 
wood. You are now ready to plant the 
seed. 
Make small furrows across the surface 
T HE peony is such a strong and 
sturdy perennial that one would 
hardly suspect it of being subject 
to diseases such as frequently 
attack the more frail and delicate flowers 
of our garden. Yet it 
is only necessary to ob- 
serve a peony planting 
during the course of one 
season to be convinced 
that like other plants 
they too are subject to 
ills of one kind or an- 
other. At least seven 
different maladies are 
known to affect peonies 
in eastern United 
States. There are 
doubtless numerous 
others, for the study of 
the diseases of the 
peony is scarcely be- 
gun. Plant doctors 
have generally given 
their attention to crops 
of more economic im- 
portance. Yet to the 
grower and lover of this 
beautiful perennial it 
is most important that 
the diseases which 
threaten his favorite 
be carefully investi- 
gated and means for 
their control discov- 
ered. 
The first step in 
guarding against dis- 
eases, be they in ani- 
mals or plants, is to be 
of the firmed soil about a quarter of an inch 
deep and an inch apart. Place the seeds 
three quarters of an inch apart. Cover the 
seeds, press the soil down with a block of 
wood, and water immediately. Place the 
flat in a shaded coldframe, or in a lath 
shed, or on the north side of a sheltered 
tree or bush. 
To secure a good supply of seed, it is ad- 
visable to hand pollinate each flower. Take 
an anther from another flower which has 
just opened and is beginning to shed its 
pollen. Apply it to the sticky stigmatic 
surface, the knob-like end of the pistil, 
until it is well covered. 
It takes from two to four months for 
the big, angled capsules to form and ripen. 
When fully mature the capsules split open 
and the flat brown seeds will be blown 
away if you are not watchful. Plant them 
immediately after gathering. 
able to recognize one from another. As in 
the case of animals, so with plants, all dis- 
eases are not equally dangerous. Each 
has its peculiar symptoms and by these 
symptoms we distinguish them. The symp- 
toms of the more common peony diseases 
are quite striking and may be readily 
learned by the layman. The different 
parts of the plant, root, stem, leaf and blos- 
som are subject to disease. Some diseases 
affect only the roots, others only the leaves. 
Other maladies exhibit their effects on all 
the parts of the plant. 
Of the diseases of the roots, probably 
because the roots are buried from sight, we 
seem to know least. Before planting out 
the peony roots purchased from the nursery- 
man, they should be carefully examined 
for root rot or decay. There seem to be 
several sorts of root rots but as yet our 
knowledge is too limited to distinguish 
between them. If there are rotted roots 
these should be carefully cut away and the 
healthy roots washed thoroughly before 
planting out. Sometimes the roots will be 
found to be much dwarfed and clustered 
with swollen places in them. The crown 
at the base of the buds or stalks will show 
swellings. This is the root gall disease. 
Such plants will scarcely be worth plant- 
ing out, for the shoots that come from them 
will be short and spindling and give no 
blossoms. Even with the best of care and 
treatment they seldom or never recover, 
and while they may linger on from year to 
year are only a source of irritation and dis- 
appointment. They had best be discarded 
at once. 
There are several very striking diseases 
of the peony that affect the leaves only. 
If you find that the young seedlings are 
too crowded in the seed flat, you can trans- 
plant them readily, if you do it while they 
are still small, before the tap-root is more 
than an inch long. Prick them out an inch 
and a half apart in flats, or put them in two- 
inch pots and plunge the pots up to their 
rims in soil. Place lump charcoal in the 
bottom of the pot and fill it full with loose 
compost. Make a hole for the seedling 
and upon transferring it, press the soil with 
the fingers. Give the pot a rap to settle 
the soil evenly, and the job is done. 
After completing a year’s growth the 
bulbs should be removed to a specially pre- 
pared bed, the making of which I have al- 
ready described. Place the small bulbs 
four inches apart each way and allow them 
to remain undisturbed until they finally 
bloom. Then the bulbs will be large enough 
to set in their permanent positions. 
The familiar wilt of stems indicates the presence of the 
Botrytis disease 
Perhaps the most peculiar is the rather rare 
“mosaic” disease. One occasionally finds 
in a strong thrifty cluster a few stalks the 
leaves of which, though normal in size and 
living in every part, show a most striking 
mottling in the form of alternating band- 
like rings of dark and light green color. 
Such plants do not appear to die out or 
bloom less profusely, yet it is clearly a dis- 
eased condition. Until more is known of 
the malady it would hardly be wise to 
more than cut out the diseased stalks. 
Another disease of the leaves, long known 
and very common, is the Cladiosporium 
leaf blotch. This is a fungous disease, 
doubtless brought to this country from 
Europe, where it is very common. It is 
readily distinguished by the large purple 
blotches on the upper surface of the leaves; 
below, the spots are brown. This usually 
appears after flowering and is not dangerous. 
It gives the plants an untidy appearance, 
however, and is undesirable where a clean 
green foliage throughout the season is re- 
quired. The prompt removal and destruc- 
Keeping the Peonies in Health 
By H. H. Whetzel , Cornell University 
CONSPICUOUS SYMPTOMS OF THE TROUBLES THAT ATTACK THIS 
POPULAR GARDEN PLANT — WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE 
THEIR CONDITION AND PREVENT THE SPREADING OF DISEASE 
The bud blight. The 
felt of spores is seen at 
A ; the banded colors on 
the stem just above B 
