36 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
flowers. The most common one (P. officinalis ) was introduced 
from Switzerland, as well for its medicinal properties as for its 
beauty, as long ago as 1548 ; but it is only since 1784 that a 
rather numerous influx of the white-flowered and nine of its 
varieties have been introduced from Siberia ; and many more 
varieties have been received from Greece, and the south of 
Europe. All these are herbaceous, and are commonly grown 
together in beds of good rich soil. 
Chinese travellers gave glowing accounts of the Tree-pczony , 
which was common in that empire, and by the exertions of the 
late Sir Joseph Banks and others, a few of the shrubby species 
(P. moutanj were obtained from Canton, together with a few new 
herbaceous varieties, soon after 1790. 
The moutan (moutan is the Chinese name of the plant, and used 
by us as the specific distinction,) is only a half-shrubby, and half- 
hardy species. If planted in the open ground it requires some 
kind of winter covering ; and if kept in pots, these should be 
placed in pits during the cold season, and brought into the green¬ 
house or conservatory in February or March, to produce their 
fine flowers. The moutan has purple flowers ; but we have four 
varieties,—white, and purple, and two with pink-coloured blossoms. 
The Chinese florists boast of having many different coloured sorts: 
yellow we are pretty well assured they have; but they assert they 
have also double blue ones, and remarkably double, having one 
thousand or more petals ; but it is probable these will turn out to 
be herbaceous species, or only varieties. 
The P. moutan may be propagated by cuttings, or by layers; 
and, by the latter plan, if the whole shoot has an incision made 
above and below each bud, and is laid fiat on the surface of light 
sandy compost, shoots furnished with roots will rise from the 
incisions, and be soon separable into distinct plants. They may 
also be increased by grafting them on the roots of each other. 
VISITS TO NURSERIES. No. II. 
MR. GROOM’S FLORAL NURSERY, WALMORTIL 
Every one who admires those lovely children of Flora which 
this eminent florist has chosen specially to adopt, and to tend 
with so much talent and success, must know both the way to his 
