BIENNIALS. 59 



seedlings are. after all, those which spring near 

 the mother plant from self-sown seed, therefore, 

 when you weed or dig your flower borders, be 

 careful not to disturb any seedlings which may 

 have sprung up. They always make strong, fine 

 blooming plants. 



Take care of your double-flowering plants in 

 winter. The double wall-flower is hardy enough 

 to exist in the borders, but the other double bien 

 nials deserve to be sheltered, for double flowers are 

 very handsome, and heavy rains, snow, or severe 

 frost, injure them. Take cuttings every year from, 

 them. 



The Night Stock is tolerable hardy if sheltered 

 during the frost by ashes or litter. The sweetness- 

 after night-fall must recommend it to all lovers of 

 fragrant flowers. 



PROPAGATING BIENNIALS. 



Every young lady must become acquainted with 

 the manner of operating upon plants, to preserve 

 the finer sorts, which they may wish to perpetuate. 

 Raising from seed is slow, but it produces infinite 

 variety. You, however, rarely see the same flower 

 produced twice from seed ; therefore you must 

 propagate the biennial and perennial flowers by 

 layers, slips, pipings, and cuttings, if you wish to 

 preserve any particular sorts. 



To effect layers, prepare some rich, light earth, 

 a parcel of small hooked sticks, or little pegs, and 

 a sharp penknife. 



Now clear the ground about the plant you are 

 going to layer ; stir the surface well with your 

 trowel, and put a sufficient quantity of the pre- 



