The sun., 1918-10-13
TREE PEONIES.
Cultural Directions.

Are tree peonies as hardy as the
herbaceous kinds? Are they free
boomers? Why do the buds fire.
quently fail to mature after being
partly developed?
The first two questions are invaria-
bly, asked by those who fain would
possess some OF these aristocrats in
their garden, the CAST by many who
have grown them with but moderate
success.
The answer in each case is simple.
They are perfectly hardy, but there is
this difference: herbaceous peonies die
to the ground each year and the roots
beneath the surface being protected
by the covering Of earth are uninjured
by the most severe cold and are ready
to send up new shoots in spring.
The tops Of tree peonies persist
above the ground eventually attaining
to the size Of large shrubs several feet
In height. These tops are sometimes
| injured in very severe climates and
sometimes they are attacked by the
same fungus at the surface OF the
ground that attacks herbaceous peonies
occasionally during moist weather ia
vorable toward development.
This fungus girdles the stem. caus-
ing the upper portion OF the plant to
| wilt and die. In the case OF herba-
ceous peonies the roots. not being af-
fected, send up new growth as usual
the following spring. With tree
peonies, since they are usually grated.
the result is often the loss Of the
variety, though the roots of the stalk
below the graft remain uninjured
European grown tree peonies are
usually grated on herbaceous roots
without eyes and IL the stems are
killed above the graft there are more
eyes left below to grow.
japanese grown tree peonies are
usually grated on the wild japanese
tree peony, a very vigorous. strong
growing species, which develops sc
many eyes below the graft that these
wild suckers. which grow like weeds
invariably kill out the graft even II Il
Is not injured by fungus or freezing
and this Is why japanese grown tree
peonies so commonly revert back Il
the wild type.
These are, however, by no means un'
desirable. for they produce very large
l
pie in the greatest profusion without
the slightest care. The fine named
J varieties are OF the same species a!
the Japanese moutan. and they are un
doubtedly just as hardy on their owl
roots. The new shoots which sprlni
; up from the crown Of the plant viii
; all come true.
J These new shoots from the bas'
usually flower the first season they
appear and produce the finest blooms
The plant develops into a large busl
or stool, comprised of numerous stems
and even If some OF them should oc
casionally be injured the new growth
, from below will quickly take thei
place.
Strong clumps of several year,
growth may be divided in Septembe
g.. or October. and in this way the stool
can be slowly increased; too slow !
for commercial purposes, and that i
why grating is resorted to for rapi'
} increase with the unsatisfactory re
suits stated, and which has caused tn,
popular impression that tree peonie
, are not hardy and that they are diff
, cult to grow.
The question arises then. How cal
plants be obtained established on thei
own roots? This is somewhat diff
cult, as only few commercial grow
ers in this country have them, bu
II young European grown stool
grated on herbaceous roots be plante
deep SO that only a few eyes appea
above the ground and the graft 1
three or four inches below the surfac
they will In a year or two form thei
e own roots above the graft and 500
form vigorous healthy plants.
J plant these very deep, first cuttin
! away all dormant eyes below the graf,
Y The following October lift them an
( again remove all wild suckers an
5 eyes. Small roots can be observe
forming above the graft and by an
y other year the wild stock can be en-
g tirely cut away and from then on
d let them severely alone.
Il A lot of trouble7 Yes. But the
9 are worth 1t, for the Japanese tire
Y peony with its blooms sometimes
d foot in diameter in pure shades c
scarlet, maroon, crimson, soft cles