These gardens are situated near the village of Fa-who, about 5 or 6 miles
west from Shanghae, in the midst of a vast country of cotton plantations.
On the way I met a large number of _coolies_ each carry two baskets
of Moutan-paeonies in full flower; they went to sell them in market.
Arrived at the gardens I found there a number of these plants in flower
and of a remarkable beauty. The purple and lilac species especially
attracted the sight: among others a very pretty kind apparently distinct,
with finely cut leaves and flowers of a velvety purple, like the Tuscany
rose of our gardens. The Chinese call it Moutan Peony (black) and I
believe it to be the same as that called _atro-sanguinea_ by Dr. Lindley,
in the journal of the Horticultural Society of London. Another species
called “tse” or purple, had double flowers of a remarkable size; it is
probably this variety which they say has a thousand petals, and did not
exist but in the garden of the emperor. The third kind is called “lan”
(blue;) it is a lilac variety; its flowers are of the color of Wistaria
Sinensis. There are besides other kinds of purple differently shaded,
very distinct from the preceding and equally beautiful.
The double whites are also numerous and very remarkable. The largest
among them has been called _P. globosa_ by Dr. Lindley, but there are 4
or 5 others which approach very near to this. Some have a light shade
of lilac, which gives tone to their color. The best is that called
“wang” (yellow) by the Chinese; this variety, of a straw color, is very
beautiful, but notwithstanding inferior to some others.
The red peonies (Hong) are equally numerous. What is strange, is, that
the kinds common at Canton and in England, are very rare here. These
gardens contain about a half-dozen of new varieties of red peonies; among
others, that called “Van-yang-hong” by the Chinese, is the most beautiful
plant which I have ever seen. Its flowers are of a bright and pure red,
entirely different from all the others perfectly double; each of them is
about ten inches in diameter. In all I counted nearly thirty distinct
varieties in these gardens.
The greater part of these beautiful varieties of Paeonia Moutan are
unknown at Canton. This may seem strange in a country where flowers
are so generally sought for; but the Chinese are in everything such
conservatives that a slight acquaintance with their customs will suffice
to explain this apparent anomaly. The gardens of Canton derive their
supplies of P. Moutan from a district situated more in the west than
Shanghae. From time immemorial the same gardens have furnished these
flowers; they arrive always by the same road, and at the same time of the
year. It seems that Shanghae until the end of the last war, has never
been in communication with Canton, at least in what concerns flowers,
consequently these beautiful varieties of Peony could not obtain a route
towards the south and thence to Europe.
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._