Hi INTRODUCTION. 



that are then divided should be attended to early, as 

 soon as the first symptoms of going to rest are apparent. 

 Rearing Herbaceous and Alpine Perennials from Seed. — 

 In the descriptive part of the book I have in all cases 

 requiring special treatment given the necessary details for 

 rearing the subjects from seed, and here I propose setting 

 down a few suggestions applicable generally to the sowing 

 and rearing of the two classes of herbaceous and alpine 

 perennials for the guidance of amateurs and others of 

 limited experience. The mass of these hardy plants 

 — perhaps I should say all — may be raised from seed in 

 the open air more or less successfully. Nature, we know, 

 manages pretty well to keep up stock in her own domain 

 of these and other miscellanies in the plant way, with 

 none of the fuss that distinguishes our efforts. She, how- 

 ever, has a perfect aptitude for the work, and is sure of 

 the attainment of her object sooner or later, for she never 

 fails in filling up blanks with the right thing in the right 

 place, and at the right time. We, on the contrary, must 

 confess that we work often very much by rule of thumb 

 in this matter, forgetting or ignoring what we do know 

 of her ways and means, and often even setting them at 

 defiance. Yet our success is not despicable, and it is 

 attained usually with less waste of time and material, all 

 things considered. The question whether the seeds of 

 these hardy plants are to be sown in the open air or 

 under glass will depend for its answer on whether there 

 is a choice ; and if there is a choice, the final decision 

 will be determined by other considerations. For the 

 mere purpose of keeping up stock of the easy-managed 

 vigorous kinds in private gardens, it is in no way neces- 

 sary to incur the additional labour caused by rearing 



