The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-27
AN INVESTMENT IN PEONES
ONE WOMAN,S RETURN 500 A
YEAR ON CAPITAL or IS.
Tho Roots IN Demand as Well as the
FIowers-Good Points OF Peonies
Selection OF varieties-Tu for
Pianting-Care OF the Peony He'd.

Pianting-Care OF the Peony Bed.
4Five years ago l invested 81 in peony
roots. and for the past three years have
cleared In tho neighborhood OF 500 a
q year from ts.em,' said a woman whose
poonles are the admiration Of the part
Of Long Island where she lives. The
best Of It Is that I not only haven't dis
turbed my original peony roots but
have improved them.
my love for peonies began some ten
years ago when a neighbor who had
sold her place told me / might have the
peonies in her front yard IL ] cared to
move them. There were two large
punches, q pink and q red. =
Il planted them in u front yord.
whore my mothers pot rose bushcs had
always reigned supreme. When onoe
those peonies recovered from the trans
planting and began to bloom nobody
ever noticed the roses. Having room
to spread out I invested In varieties.
Having invested 1 proceeded to try 70
make the investment pay.
"To begin with I sold only the blossoms,
then having so many demands for roots
L began TO experime mt. Knowing that
peonies hate to have their roots divided
determined to try a method OF propa-
cation I had seen at q florists.
EARLY In the spring. before the peonies
hid begun to show any signs OF growth
placed q bottomless box about fourteen
inches deep around one Of my oldest
plants. Then ! filled this box with rich.
porous soil and waited. The new growth
of the peonies pushed through this soil.
forming foliage and flowers above 1t.
in the latter part Of September care
fully removed this new earth and cut
away the new stalks from the old plants.
These stalks were cut into as many pieces
as there were eyce provided with roots
aud planted Immediately. The next year
which / promised to purchasers a month
before it was time to take them up.
any largest peony bed Is 20 by ~ feet;
During the season just past ! CUT o
sold from IL upward OF nine q
beautiful blossoms,
The whole bed was under an extra
LAYER Of soil Just as the lunch 1 have
described. Next week / shall take all
this extra earth away and cutting the
new stalks from the old plant. set out
what will be my ext seasons crop Of
roots. For those roots get AN dollar
each and think them well worth it. az
they grow into fine blooming stock n
less time than q root cut from an OH
ain my opinion the peony 10 the pest
hardy flower we have. II is larger than
the rose and has as wide O range OF color.
The blossoms last longer; the plant 10
much harder and easier to cultivate.
1t is free from thorns and almost Tree
from insect enemies and diseases. +,
They are remarkably long iivei and
vhen once established ehould not be.
moved oftener thar ono in twenty years
40 I have heep told by experienced florists.
The culture IL very simple n the planting
time is the latter half Of September or
the first week in October.
.Dig a trench three feet deep and I'LL
lin with plenty OF well rotted COW manure:
plant the tubers about four feet apart and
from three to five inches below the sur
fare. Pack In the earth firmly but care
| fully 90 as not to bruise or injure the
tender roots. -
sIn selecting a position you should be
careful 10 avoid -drips and also situations
Where the plants would be whipped by the
wind. In the spring the large plants VIII
tend to droop, and for the looks Of the bed
and to preserve the blossoms they should
have a good support. The most saus-
factory support that have iound ls a
hoop about two feet In diameoe WIN q
1 I0nn In O0e STU dito - wv 80
and three legs. This support Is made OF
~qalvanized wire and tho legs sharpened
90 that they may be easily stuck into the
ground. .h. r,,nt
IL il a simple matter to lap ana ue II.
This gives a perfect snpposr r., anu awav one
sSpring planting OF peonies has never
brought me good results. Keeping the
| itfJe tIbers over until h spring seems
70 make them faint from fasting and 1t
requires months instead OF weeks Tor them
to recover. ILL
Give n few blossoms the next summer:
and should do much better the second
season. As a, rule. however. 1t takes
three q before q peony gives q perfect
| flower and plenty OF them.
During the first two years the blossoms
are often not charaoterisac eitner IN
ave or color. Unless l make q point OF
Undressing this fact on my customers
thew are more than apt to come back At
RE the next season with the complaint
| tbat / did not sell them the variety bar
The best way to buy peoniee Is to
visit a large nursery an Say o wnen n,6 9s9 ane yo ang
varieties. and IL the nursery man Is not
Already overstocked with orders he will
promise YOU what vou want. / AWAY
advise against buving a great variety;
The same amount of money invested
In two or three varieties, buying, as many
and as large roots as can be had. VIII
pive much more satisfaction.
.Tbe most important distinction among
n~sonies In between the double n the
| single. In making selections 1t Is well
10 remember that q single peony lasts
only three days while a doubie flower
will last n week. The best OF peony
b,Ishee remain in bloom only three or
four weeks, but there are 80 many va
rfeties blooming at different times that
where one has the space one. can have
blossoms most OF the season.
After deciding between the doubie
and sinele varieties the next most i'm
nortant boint for the amateur to pom
eider is the size and color. While there
ia not much chance for color discord In
pe ouies n mixed bed planted In q promi-
nent position will give a spotted effect,
While one or two colors in the same situa-
don will be a thing Of beauty and a Joy
to all who see IT,, .
.Peonics look best when planted In
long, broad lines with a background OF
shnnbbery. Where n cannot a v a
long line the bed should be deep enough
to make a solid mass OF color.
.As peoniee are naturally a large flower
and do not lose by being made large,
THERE seems hardly any reason Tor raising
a flower under six inches In diameter.
I try always to force my blossoms to
eight inches. and for that reason get