CLASSES OF FLOWERS. 21 



volvulus, and many other bright and beautiful llow- 

 ers may escape and cluster around her, as she re- 

 ceives rest and shelter within their grateful lattice- 

 work. There, also, may be deposited the imple- 

 ments of her vocation ; and during the severe 

 weather, its warm precincts will protect the finer 

 kinds of carnations, piidvs, auriculas, &c., which 

 do not bear the heavy rains, or frost of lengthened 

 duration, without injuring the plant. 



Flowers are divided into three classes : — an- 

 nuals, biennals, perennials. 



Annuals are those flowers which are raised from 

 seeds alone, in the spring, and which die in the 

 autumn. They are again divided into three classes ; 

 tender and more curious kinds ; the less tender 

 or hardier kinds ; and the hardiest and common 

 kinds. 



Biennials are those flowers which are produced 

 by seed, bloom the second year, and remain two 

 years in perfection ; after which they gradually 

 dwindle and die away. 



Some sorts, however, of the biennials, afford a 

 continuation of plants by offsets, slips, and cuttings 

 of the tops, and by layers and pipings, so that, 

 though the parent flower dies, the species are per- 

 petuated, particularly to continue curious double- 

 flowered kinds, as for instance, double rockets, by 

 root off'sets, and cuttings of the young flower-stalks ; 

 double wallflowers by slips of the small top shoots ; 

 double sweet-williams by layers and pipings ; and 

 carnations by layers. 



Perennials are those flowers which continue 

 many years, and are so propagated by root oflsets, 

 suckers, parting roots, &;c., as will be more fully 

 particularlized under the head of Perennials. 

 3 



