Peonies with manure during the winter as some do, for the reason that the stem of the Peony is hollow and 
by covering them the substance of the covering by rain and melting snow is carried down to the heart of the 
plant and the manure water wdll play havoc by almost annihilating your roots. You then ask how we fer¬ 
tilize. By turning under a crop or two of cow peas and rye before planting and after planting to use any kind 
of stable manure between the rows, care being taken to avoid getting it near the stems of the plant. This is 
usually applied during early winter, but may be applied at any season of the year, avoiding of course the bloom¬ 
ing season. Amateurs may apply all their fertilizer in the form of manure after planting as stated here and be 
assured of grand results. 
Planting Time, Where, How 
Peonies may be planted any time the ground is in condition to work from September 1st till March 15th. 
In Ohio we prefer September, October and November for two reasons: usually the ground is in better condi¬ 
tion to work during these months, and it saves storing and caring for them during the winter time; then again 
Peonies can be sold cheaper in the fall time as the expense of storage is avoided. 
Peonies may be planted effectively in several positions; in beds by themselves, as a background to plant¬ 
ings of other perennial borders, as a foreground for shrubbery groups or borders, in single rows indeed they make 
a delightful hedge effect where one sort is planted, so the hedge blooms all at one time. This hedge makes a 
fine effect when used as division lines between city lots or to act as a screen along alleyways or unsightly fences 
or buildings, for remember after the Peony is done blooming the plant itself is desirable for foliage effect . Sim¬ 
ply cut away the seed pods and trim in the few tips of branches that may be longer than the others so as to make 
a uniform hedge. Planted to border a walk Peonies arc pretty (sec front cover page for this effect). Where 
you plant Peonies in beds set at least 3) to 4 feel, apart each way; where planted in rows as for hedge effect, 
plant two feet apart; setting the eyes in the ground three inches below the surface. A covering of forest leaves 
held in place by evergreen boughs or other weight to keep the leaves from blowing away will be found very 
beneficial during the severe cold weather of winter. Peony roots arc perfectly hardy; this covering keeps 
them irom being lifted out of their places by frost. Do not apply this covering until the ground is frozen, lie- 
move after hard freezing in the early spring. It’s the freezing and thawing that do the damage. Freezing 
the roots does no damage, but when they are out the roots are lifted up to a certain degree. Keep repeating 
this operation and you will find your roots on top of the ground. This is a good time to apply fertilizer, fak¬ 
ing care to keep the manure clear of the stems. Cover the stems with some other substance, such as leaves, 
etc. The manure acts as a protection and at the same time supplies the necessary fertilizer. 
A Month of Peonies, or How to Select Varieties 
The time the Peony blooms for the average person is one week, for the reason that their selection of vari¬ 
eties embraces kinds that bloom at, one and the same time. 
No Peony grower that we know of has gone into this important subject, to our mind the most important 
of all in Peony culture. We here append a list of the different colors kept separate that will supply you the 
choicest of bloom that you may fairly revel in for a month, except in the case of the reds and they will be gay 
for three weeks. 
A Month of White Peonies 
Candidissinia 
Festiva Maxima 
Duchesse de Nemours 
James Kelway 
Duke of Wellington 
Couronne d’Or 
Madame de Verneville 
Avalanche 
Madame Emile Lemoine 
Marie Lemoine 
A\ i rei lie 
Enchantress 
A Month of Pink Peonies 
Umbel lata Rosea 
Fdulis Superha 
Monsieur Juies Elie 
Madame Ducel 
A Month of Light Pink Peonies 
Gigantea 
Claire Dubois 
Madame Forel 
Model of Perfection 
AAathildc de Roseneck 
Livingstone 
Sarah Bernhardt 
Granditlora 
Officinalis Rosea Superba 
Eugenie Vcrdier 
Marie Stuart 
Princess Beatrice 
Floral Treasure 
A\ademoiselle Eeonic Calot 
Marguerite Gerard 
La Perle 
Albert Crousse 
E’Indispensable 
Charlemagne 
Baroness Schroeder 
Dorchester 
Three Weeks of Red Peonies 
Officinalis Rubra Plena 
L’Ecletante 
Felix Crousse 
Augustin d’ Hour 
Berlioz 
A\eissonier 
Monsieur Krelage 
Madame Bucquet 
Dr. Boisduval 
Masterpiece 
Monsieur A^art.in Cahuzac 
Adolph Rousseau 
Rubra Superba 
Remember that these lists may be repeated in most cases by other choice, varieties and that you do neces¬ 
sarily need confine yourselves to these varieties alone to make up your month of Peony bloom. 
6 
