218 THE FLOWER-GARDEN. [CHAP. VEL 



flowers, sweet-williams, Oenotheras, and Bromp- 

 ton stocks ; but there are many others ex- 

 tremely beautiful, and equally well deserving of 

 cultivation. Most of the biennials may be pro- 

 pagated by layers or cuttings, and, thus treated, 

 they will last four or five years. 



Perennial herbaceous plants are so numerous, 

 that few general directions can be given for their 

 culture, and it will be necessary to treat of the 

 principal families separately. Perennial flowers 

 are generally propagated by layers, cuttings, 

 offsets, suckers, and division of the root ; for, 

 when raised from seed, many of the kinds do 

 not blossom for several years. When propa- 

 gated by layers, the earth which is pressed over 

 the pegged-down shoots should not be kept too 

 moist ; as layers of herbaceous plants, particu- 

 larly where the stem has been partly slit through, 

 are very apt to rot. The same remark holds 

 good as to cuttings ; and they should generally 

 have fewer leaves left on than cuttings of trees 

 and shrubs. Many plants produce offsets, such 

 as the potentilla, the wild geranium, &c, and 

 these only require separating from the parent, 

 and planting in spring ; all the flower-buds 

 should, however, be pinched off the first year 

 to strengthen the plant, and to encourage it to 

 send down roots. Suckers are treated in exactly 

 the same manner as offsets. Division of the 

 roots is, however, the most common way of pro- 

 pagating perennials. To do this the plant is 

 generally taken up, and the roots pulled asunder 

 if dry, or cut into pieces if fleshy, and replanted ; 

 care being taken to cut off any part of the 

 fibrous roots that may have been wounded or 



