December  16,  1897.  .  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
577 
-  The  Development  of  the  Foreign  Fruit  Trade. — The 
foregoing  was  the  title  of  a  paper  read  by  Mr.  M.  J.  Garcia  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Horticultural  Club  held  at  the  Hotel  Windsor  on  Tuesday 
evening  last.  There  were  present  besides  the  Rev.  H.  H.  D  Ombra^,  the 
Secretary,  M.  Henri  de  Vilmorin  of  Paris,  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  Mr.  Harry  J. 
Veitch,  Mr.  J.  H.  Veitch,  Mr.  Arthur  Sutton,  and  a  large  gathering  of 
other  members.  The  paper  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  interesting  and 
instructive  given  at  these  reunions  for  many  a  day,  and  gave  rise  to  an 
animated  discussion,  in  which  Mr.  George  Monro,  Mr.  Assl)ee,  Mr.  George 
Bunyard,  Mr.  Walker,  and  M.  de  Vilmorin  took  part.  The  general 
purport  of  Mr.  Garcia’s  remarks  was  to  explain  that  vexed  question, 
“Why  is  English  fruitgrowing  unprofitable?”  Mr.  Garcia,  speaking 
from  experience,  accounted  for  the  general  failure  of  the  English 
grower  to  keep  pace  with  foreign  and  colonial  competition  to  the  fact 
that  he  grows  too  many  varieties  of  fruit,  and  does  not  pack  his  consign¬ 
ments  in  cheap  wooden  barrels  not  to  he  returned.  English  buyers  are 
conservative,  and  persist  in  asking  for  the  same  varieties  of  fruit  year 
after  year.  English  sellers  will  not  consign  their  fruit  in  receptacles  to 
be  broken  up  when  done  with,  like  the  American  importers.  The  remedy, 
therefore,  is  for  the  English  grower  to  limit  the  varieties  and  transmit  the 
fruit  to  market  scientifically  packed  in  barrels  of  which  he  makes  a  gift 
to  the  consumer.  Mr.  Bunyard  remarked  that  one  difficulty  English 
nurserymen  had  to  contend  with  was  the  caprice  of  the  buyers  of  fruit 
trees,  the  demand  being  very  variable  in  respect  of  the  varieties.  In 
course  of  the  discussion,  Mr.  Garcia  and  Mr.  Monro  stated  that  in  spite 
of  foreign  competition  the  price  of  certain  ordinary  fruits,  so  far  from 
sinking,  had  actually  risen  during  the  last  forty  years.  In  conclusion, 
Mr.  Harry  Veitch  expressed  a  hope  that  at  some  future  day  Mr.  Garcia 
would  see  fit  to  repeat  his  lecture  at  a  meeting  of  a  more  public  nature. 
THE  HERBACEOUS  PiEONY. 
There  are  fashions  in  flowers  as  in  other  things,  and  the  favourite 
of  to-dav  is  too  often  the  despised  of  to-morrow.  We  sometimes  think 
it  unfortunate  that  this  is  the  case  ;  that  a  flower  seen  everywhere 
for  a  time  should  drop  into  comparative  ohscuiity.  Yet  it  is  doubtful 
if  the  gains  are  not  greater  than  the  losses  which  flow  from  this 
tide  of  fashion.  It  is  impossible  to  doubt  that  the  popularity  of 
some  flowers  has  done  much  to  lead  to  their  improvement,  and  has 
encouraged  many  to  devote  their  attention  to  raising  new  varieties. 
However  much  we  may  seek  to  minimise  the  question  of  what  is 
lucrative  in  flowers,  it  constantly  arises  and  exercises  an  enormous 
influence.  The  raiser  of  new  flowers,  W'ho  has  devoted  much  time  and 
skill  to  his  work,  is  as  much  entitled  to  a  pecuniary  reward  as  the 
successful  man  of  science  who  reaps  the  benefit  of  his  discoveries. 
But  for  these  fashions  the  professional  raiser  of  new  varieties  would 
not  receive  a  fair  reward,  and  his  time  could  not  be  applied  to  such 
a  work  as  this.  Many  amateurs  have  enriched  our  gardens  with  new 
varieties  of  many  flowers  without  either  the  desire  for  or  the  prospect 
of  gain.  For  many  other  flowers  we  are,  however,  indebted  to  the 
man  who  makes  it  his  business,  and  who  expects  his  work  to  recom 
pense  him  in  the  ordinary  way.  The  subject  of  this  article  is  one  of 
the  latter  flowers,  and  we  cannot  but  recognise  the  high  value  of  the 
work  of  the  raisers  of  the  best  varieties  of  this  Uilliant  flower, 
the  reinstatement  of  which  in  popular  favour  is  likely  to  give  much 
satisfaction  to  many. 
There  are  some  who  call  the  Pseony  coarse  and  gaudy;  but  it 
appears  to  the  writer  that  they  have  not  seen  the  beauty  of  the 
tinting  and  .‘^hading  of  the  exquisite  flowers  of  many  of  the  blooms. 
It  is  not  a  little  strange  to  hear  some  who  go  into  ecstacies  over  a 
bed  of  scarlet  Zonal  Pelargoniums  condemning  as  garish  and  gaudy 
the  colouring  of  this  flower.  Used  aright  in  the  garden,  its  great 
flowers  are  toned  down  by  and  harmonise  with  the  surrounding 
foliage;  used  for  house  decoration,  its  massive  blooms  are  suited  for 
large  vases  and  similar  leceptacles.  It  cannot  be  judged  from  the 
same  point  of  view  as  a  flower  for  use  in  a  buttonhole:  yet  there  are 
some  who  appear  to  do  so,  and  speak  -with  disdain  of  its  flowers  as 
“  lumpy  ”  and  “  ungraceful.”  It  is  all  a  question  of  using  properly. 
This  much  by  w^ay  of  introduction,  and  we  must  now  turn  to  the 
history  and  cultivation  of  the  flower. 
The  Paeonia  has  long  been  an  inhabitant  of  our  gardens.  There 
is  a  little  discrepancy  in  the  statements  about  the  time  of  its  intro¬ 
duction  ;  but  so  far  as  we  can  leam  the  year  1548  saw  it  introduced 
into  this  country.  This  is  the  date  assigned  to  P.  albiflora  and 
P.  officinalis,  although  some  state  that  P.  albiflora  was  not  introduced 
until  1780.  The  former  of  these  is  the  progenitor  of  what  are,  perhaps, 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  varieties  in  cultivation.  P.  officinalis  in  its 
several  varieties  is  the  well-known  common  Pseony  of  cottage  gardens, 
which,  through  good  report' and  ill,  has  survived  long  years  of  both 
neglect  and  favour.  It  is  a  native  of  South  Europe,  while  P.  albiflora 
comes  from  Siberia  and  adjoining  countries. 
Much  of  the  popularity  of  the  herbaceous  Paeonia  at  the  present 
time  is  due  to  the  magnificent  exhibitions  made  by  Messrs.  Kelway 
and  Son  of  Langport,  who  have  had  marked  success  as  seedling 
raisers.  Messrs.  Barr  &  Son,  Mr.  T.  S.  Ware,  and  other  prominent 
trade  growers  have  also  done  much  to  bring  the  beauties  of  the  flower 
to  the  notice  of  garden  lovers.  Continental  growers,  such  as  Messrs. 
Krelage  &  Son  of  Haarlem,  who  grow  a  very  complete  collection, 
have  upheld  the  merits  of  the  varieties  of  the  Pseony  when  little 
interest  was  taken  in  the  flower.  From  a  very  complete  list  of  over 
500  varieties  published  by  this  firm,  it  is  shown  to  whom  we  vere 
.  indebted  for  the  florists’  Pseony,  until  Messrs.  Kelway  &  Son  showed 
how  well  it  can  be  raised  in  England.  These  continental  raisers  were 
the  Prince  of  Salm-Dyclr,  Lemon,  Guerin,  Buyck,  Parmentier, 
Verdier,  Calot,  Count  de  Cussy,  Delache,  Van  Houtte,  Gombault, 
Pele  Delacourt-Verhille,  Donkelaer,  Foulard.  Miellez,  Salter,  Crousse 
and  Mechin,  and  Dessert.  Many  of  the  finest  standard  varieties 
have  been  produced  by  these  raisers,  and  it  is  well  that  their  names 
should  be  remembered.  In  the  literature  of  the  flower  Mr.  J.  G. 
Baker,  Mr.  George  Paul,  and  ]\Ir.  George  Anderson  may  be  mentioned 
as  having  contributed  valuable  studies. 
The  herbaceous  Pieonia  is  a  very  accommodating  plant,  and  is  so 
easily  grown  that  it  frequently  suffers  in  beauty  from  the  want  of 
attention  in  the  way  of  giving  manure  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  water. 
It  likes  a  good,  rich,  well-drained  soil,  which  has  been  deeply  dug  and 
well  enriched  with  thoroughly  decayed  animal  manure.  It  should 
never  be  allowed  to  suffer  i'rom  drought,  and  watering  with  liquid 
manure  while  the  buds  are  forming  will  add  to  the  size  and  beauty  of 
the  flowers.  It  may  be  grown  in  beds,  borders,  or  shrubberies,  and 
large  beds  massed  together  in  grass  are  very  striking  when  the  plants 
are  in  full  flower.  In  shrubberies  they  are  very  effective  against  the 
background  presented  by  the  shrubs.  They  can  be  planted  at  almost 
any  season,  but  should,  if  possible,  be  obtained  while  at  rest,  as  the 
young  growth  in  spring  is  very  brittle  and  liable  to  be  injured. 
August  is  a  good  time  for  division  of  the  plants,  but  they  can  be 
removed  much  later,  and  if  planted  before  the  middle  of  January  may 
bloom  the  following  summer.  A  portion  of  a  plant  with  a  crown  will 
grow.  New  varieties  are  procured  from  seeds,  which  may  be  sown  as 
soon  as  ripe,  either  under  glass  or  in  the  open.  These  directions  apply 
to  all  the  Paeonias,  including  the  varieties  of  P.  albiflora,  both  single 
and  double  ;  those  of  P.  officinalis  and  the  numerous  species. 
J'he  douVle  varieties  of  P.  albiflora  are  the  most  admired,  their 
fine  and  massive  flowers  being  much  appreciated  in  June.  The  single 
varieties  have  of  late  received  more  attention  than  fofmerly,  and 
many  are  very  beautiful  both  in  form  and  colour.  The  old 
P.  officinalis  has  hardly  any  superior  in  richness  of  colour  when  in 
bloom  in  IMay,  and  its  varieties  give  much  to  admire.  The  other 
species  also  give  us  many  handsome  plants  and  are  comparatively 
little  known.  At  the  Cambridge  and  Glasnevin  Botanic  Gardens 
there  are  extensive  collections  of  these  species,  and  Mr.  Peter  Barr  has 
made  an  exhaustive  study  of  them  in  the  nurseries  of  his  firm.^ 
The  range  of  colouring  in  the  herbaceous  Paeonia  is  very  wide,  and 
this  greatly  increases  the  difficulty  of  making  a  selection.  Selections 
of  florists’  flowers  which  have  been  long  under  improvement  are 
notoriously  difficult  to  compile,  and  in  the  case  of  the  Paeony,  where 
there  are  so  many  almost  ]  erfect  flowers,  it  is  even  worse  than  usual 
to  choose.  Scores  of  equally  good  flowers  must  be  omitted  to  keep 
the  list  within  bounds.  A  garden  might  also  be  largely  furnished 
with  what  are  called  the  species  with  their  varieties.  In  these  a 
yellow  less  difficult  to  grow  than  the  pale  yellow  P.  Wittmanniana  is 
a  desideratum,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  new  P.  lutea  from  China, 
and  now  on  trial  in  France,  may  prove  more  amenable  to  cultivation. 
In  the  selections  of  flowers  given  below  only  the  principal  colours  are 
given. 
For  the  benefit  of  those  desiring  to  exhibit,  quotations  of  the 
various  points  for  judging  may  be  made  from  the  invaluable  “  Rules 
for  Judging,”  issued  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  These  are 
— “  Size  and  fulness  of  bloom,”  2 ;  “  regularity  of  guard  petals,”  1 ; 
“  compactness  and  symmetry,”  1  :  “  clearness  of  colour  and  freshness,” 
1 ;  “average  evenness  of  blooms,”  1. 
Selection  of  Double  Herbaceous  Peonies. 
Varieties  of  P.  albiflora.— kgnes  Mary  Kelway,  rose  and  yellow  ; 
Candidissima,  primrose;  Comte  de  Gomer,  deep  crimson;  Cj’clops, 
purple  crimson;  Duchesse  de  Nemours,  snow  white;  Festiva  maxima, 
snow  white ;  Fran9ois  Ortigat,  purple ;  Lady  Beresford,  rose  pink ; 
Lady  Leonara  Bramwell,  silvery  rose  ;  Madame  Breon,  peach  blossom  ; 
Princess  Christian,  white ;  Sir  Henry  Irving,  rose  pink. 
Single  Varieties. — Autumnus,  purple  ;  Blucher,  carmine ;  Duchess 
of  Sutherland,  pink ;  Emily,  bright  pink  ;  Stanley,  maroon  crimson  ; 
The  Bride,  pure  white. 
Selection  of  European  and  Other  Species. 
Anomala,  rosy  lilac  ;  Arietiua,  crimson  ;  decora  elatior,  crimson  ; 
officinalis  alba  fl.pl.,  white;  Peregrina  Exquisite,  pink;  tenuifolia 
fl.  ph,  crimson. — S.  Arnott. 
