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.