TO THE FLOWER GARDEN 209 



grow, and thinned out to tliree or four strong plants in a 

 patch ; or, if more convenient, the}'^ may be sown thinly in 

 any open place out of the way, and when large enough 

 planted in the boi'ders and beds where they are wanted. 

 Any plants which show liowers at all secondary in quality 

 should be pulled up immediately, and allow none to be left in 

 the ground but very double and very pretty ones : the seed 

 from these, or from the most beautiful of them, will give good 

 varieties another year. The perennials want no culture but 

 to be planted in good garden soil, and left undisturbed : they 

 increase by seeds or by division, 



PARDaXTHUS. ' tiridaceae.] Hardy or half-hardy 

 perennials, requiring a somewhat sheltered situation, and 

 dry or well-drained soil ; in other respects assimilating in 

 cultivation with Iris. 



PARIS. [MelanthacesB.] Curious hardy perennials. Peat 

 and loam. Division. 



PARNASSIA. [Hypericacese.] Pretty dsvarf hardy 

 herbaceous perennials. Damp peaty soil. Division or 

 seeds. P. asarifolia, P. Caroliniana, P. palustris, all flower 

 white. 



Px\RSONIA. [Apocynaceas.] Greenhouse or stove climb- 

 ing shrubs. Soil, peat and loam. Cuttings. 



PASCALIA. [Compositae.] Hardy perennial. Coumion 

 soil. Dryish situation. Division. 



PASSIFLORA. Passion-flower. [Passifloraceae.] An 

 extensive genus of stove, greenhouse, and half-hardy climbers, 

 containing many very beautiful species. P. ccerulea is con- 

 sidered hardy, as it will succeed against a wall in sheltered 

 situations, and under such conditions may be considered deci- 

 duous, as the younger leafy parts are more or less destroyed 

 by frost Some of the stove and greenhouse kinds are very 

 handsome. There are some which bear fruits that are edible, 

 and are said to be fragrant, cooling, and pleasant ; but, how- 

 ever interesting they may be as curiosities, other fruits must 

 be scarce to render these of any value. The tender sorts are 

 best planted in a stove or warm conservatory, and allowed to 

 grow along tlie rafters ; and the hardy sorts should be planted 

 against a south wall or front of a house. They should all be 

 grown in a mixture of loam, peat, and sand. Some of the 



P 



