The establishments where they cultivate exclusively the Paeonia Moutan are numerous, but very small. They have the appearance of our cottage gardens, and are cared for in the same way, that is, by all the members of the family: the women take as much part in it as the men: they are very avaricious and love money extremely. When they have been consulted, I always had to pay dearer for the acquisitions of plants which I made. The soil of these gardens is rich and well-manured; this latter circumstance renders it less compact than the soil where they cultivate cotton.
The propagation and management of the Paeonia Moutan seems to have been perfectly understood by the Chinese at Shanghae, much better than with us. Our horticulturists complain without ceasing of the difficulty of multiplying this beautiful plant, and this makes the price remain high. Here is the method which the Chinese pursue, and which our growers may try.
At the commencement of October, they collect in the sheds and out-houses a great quantity of the roots of a certain herbaceous Peony, roots which must serve for subjects of Paeonia Moutan. The bundle of tubercles which forms the root of a herbaceous peony is divided, and each little root, in shape of a finger, becomes a subject upon which they graft the P. Moutan. Having placed a great number of these tubercles upon the potting table, they bring the grafts of the plants which they wish to multiply. Each graft is but an inch and a half to two inches long; it is the extremity of a shoot made during the summer just finished. The under part of it is cut into a wedge and inserted on the top of the finger shaped tubercle of which we spoke. The graft is covered by a ligature or by clay and the operation is complete. A great number of grafts being thus made, they are carried to the garden and planted in rows distant about a foot and a half; the same space is left between plants in the same row. In planting, the head of the graft only remains above the soil; the part where the graft unites with the tubercle is always buried. Kaempfer says that the Chinese multiply the Moutan Peony by bud-grafting; this is an error, this process is never practiced by them, they do not even understand it. The author has been led into the error by the smallness of the bud which they use, this having but one eye at its end.
Each autumn sees thousands of plants grafted in this way. The little empty space which may be seen in the rows proves the goodness of the method; in fact a graft rarely fails to grow. At the end of about fifteen days the union of the root and the graft is complete: in the following spring the plants are beautiful and vigorous. They generally flower the first spring or at the latest in the second; it is then that they are taken up and carried to be sold in the market in the way I have described. The plant which has but one stalk and one flower has more value in the eyes of the cultivator at Shanghae than a stronger one; it is sold more easily, produces a very large flower, and presents no difficulty neither for lifting nor for transportation. Thanks to this circumstance I could always procure strong plants more advantageously than small ones.
In the gardens of the mandarins can often be met Peonies of a considerable size. Near Shanghae there is one which annually produces 3 to 400 flowers. The proprietor takes as much care of it as could the most enthusiastic amateur of his tulips. During its flowering, it was protected from the burning rays of the sun by a tent of canvass; in front was a seat where the visitor enjoyed in full the sight of these magnificent flowers. Every day, for several hours, the old man installed himself there, and while pipes and bowls of tea succeeded each other he looked lovingly upon his favorite “Moutan wha.” It was certainly a noble plant, well worthy of the admiration of the old amateur, to whom I wish the pleasure of sitting a long time yet under his tent, to enjoy so beautiful a sight.
Translated from the Flore des Serres.
CHINESE PRIMROSE.
Winter flowering plants are not too plentiful, at least such as will bloom in the cool temperature of a greenhouse; we have many fine winter flowering exotics, but they either require a hothouse temperature to bloom freely, or are more difficult to manage during summer; we are indebted to the Celestials for many of our most valuable winter flowers, Azaleas, Camellias and among others that beautiful little gem the Chinese primrose. They are all of hardy and robust habit, and are thus within the reach of all, so far as cultivation is concerned, a recommendation of much importance to those amateurs who cannot devote much time to their collection. It has often occurred to me when visiting amateurs’ greenhouses, that they would derive much more pleasure from their labors were they more select in the choice of their plants, choosing those only of known hardy and free blooming qualities, instead of aiming at a varied assortment, often expensive, and rarely satisfactory. I was more deeply impressed with this fact during a visit to an enthusiastic amateur last winter. On entering his greenhouse I was struck with the gay and cheerful appearance it presented, and it was only when about leaving that I observed the only plants in flower were a few Camellias, two or three Cinnerarias, and a quantity of Primulas of various colors, but these were so well arranged and set off with a profusion of healthy foliage, and the Primroses showing such fine rounded trusses, that I am confident not one person in ten would have noticed this simplicity of its production.