83 
a few years for it.” It takes a colt three years to de¬ 
velop into a horse, just as it takes a division three years 
to develop into a full-sized peony plant, and as it takes a 
two-year-old peony plant two years to establish itse.f 
in a new location, it seems that the purchasers of divi¬ 
sions lose only one year’s time in the operation. The 
sale of divisions has allowed the peony business to 
make a most wonderful growth during the past three 
years and thousands of Peony enthusiasts own raTe 
varieties who could not possibly have owned them under 
other conditions because there would not have been 
enough roots in the world to supply the present owners. 
Having selected and received his peony roots, the 
next thing is to plant them properly. This can be done 
anytime from the first of September until the ground 
freezes solid, but it is wise to do it early because we 
sometimes fail to get the work completed, which we 
plan to do late in the season. For the peony bed, let 
the beginner select a piece of ground in full sun, with 
soil at least as rich as that in his vegetable garden. 
Spade it at least twelve inches deep (fifteen to eighteen 
inches would, of course, be better, but I have never done 
it.) In case he spades it deeper than twelve inches, it 
would be wise to put some well-rotted manure in the 
lower six inches of the bed where the roots will find it 
in future years, but in this part of Ohio the soil is so 
rich that no fertilizer is needed. However, it is wise to 
use fertilizer in most sections of the United States, but 
care should be taken if manure is used, that it should 
be old and well rotted, and even then it must not come 
in direct contact with the roots. 
I like to ridge up my peony beds so that under no 
circumstances can the water stand around the plants, 
