188 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
slightest degree with the growth of the legitimate occupants 
of the group. When the daffodils, which were planted deeply, 
had faded, late-struck cuttings of heliotrope were planted over 
them, and filled the space left vacant, the pasony leaves being 
held up lightly, and without formal tying, by a few twiggy 
growths taken off the tops of pea sticks, and in this position 
they were allowed to decay naturally, for one of the things 
the paeony grower must learn is that the leaves must not be 
cut away until they have actually ripened, for they are neces- 
sary to the proper completion of growth in the crowns which 
are to supply the growth and flowers of next year. Other 
plants that may be happily combined with paeonies are lilies of 
many kinds, gladioli, Lobelia cardinalis, seedling delphiniums, 
and many annual and perennial plants, choosing those especi- 
ally which are not great robbers of the soil. 
Another way of growing paeonies is in rough grass. Holes 
should be taken out and filled with good soil, and the grass 
not allowed to grow close to the plants for the first year, 
after which an annual clearing round the collar will be suffi- 
cient to enable the plants to hold their own with any native 
herbage that may appear. 
The planting of herbaceous Paeonies should be performed 
between September and April. As a rule, the plants do not 
flower much the first year, and therefore those who plant 
paeonies for the first time must not be disappointed if they 
fail to yield flowers the first year. It will really be the second 
or third year before they will reward the planter fully with 
abundance of flowers. 
The herbaceous paeonies are propagated by division of the 
roots in March or April, also by seeds. The amateur gar- 
dener will do well, however, not to attempt the latter mode 
of propagation, and to do as little of the former as possible. 
It is infinitely better to allow the plants to grow into large 
specimens, and to purchase young plants of up-to-date 
sorts, if more are required. We know from experience that 
hundreds of fine paeonies are ruined annually by amateurs 
who cannot resist lifting, dividing, and replanting the roots 
every two or three years. 
Now about varieties. There are, as we have previously 
remarked, hundreds of them, ranging in price from a guinea 
to about ninepence each. The higher-priced are the latest 
and best varieties, such as an ardent cultivator would delight 
to have in his garden. The lower-priced are not necessarily 
inferior varieties, but, being older and existing in larger 
quantities, the florist is able to dispose of them at popular 
prices. Space will not permit us to give a full list of the 
many excellent varieties in commerce. All we can do is to 
