PLANTS, ANNUAL. 



375 PLANTS, CLASSIFICATION OF. 



posed to the wind, pegged down to pre- 

 vent its being blown away. In the case of 

 a wall-tree, let the root be as far from the 

 wall as convenient, with the stem sloping 

 to it, the roots being extended and covered 

 in the same manner with the soil. 



The nature of the soil is to be regarded, 

 and the tree planted at a greater or smaller 

 elevation above the level of the surrounding 

 soil accordingly ; where the subsoil is a 

 stiff clay, the mound in which it is planted 

 should rise from 9 to 12 inches; in a warm, 

 dry soil a very gentle elevation suffices. 

 The roots should be planted in the richest 

 mould ; and various expedients may be 

 used to keep them moist and cool, and free 

 from canker. The mould requires to be 

 pressed gently round the roots with the 

 hand, so that the soil may be closely packed 

 round them ; with these precautions no 

 fear need be entertained of productive fruit- 

 trees being obtained. 



Plants, Annual. See Annuals. 

 Plants, Aquatic. See Aquatic Plants. 



Plants, Arrangements of. 



A great deal may also be done by proper 

 arrangement of the plants when brought 

 into the house to give an air of order and 

 design, which in themselves have much of 

 the charm of beauty. It is certain that there 

 is often more beauty and satisfaction derived 

 from the orderly arrangement of plants 

 than from the plants themselves. The 

 same principles are applicable here that 

 have been laid down for the embellishment 

 of flower gardens. The widely different 

 circumstances will modify the practice, but 

 the same leading objects must be kept in 

 view ; and where each different tribe of 

 plants has its special house devoted to its 

 use, the practice in the two cases is not so 

 very widely divergent ; but where almost 

 every variety of plants have to be crammed 

 into one house, cultural, rather than artistic, 



considerations must control the arrange- 

 ment. A leading point in all cases is to 

 have a system, and to make that obvious. 

 This alone leaves the imprint of superin- 

 tending care. 



The predominance of cultural consider- 

 ations does not necessarily destroy artistic 

 beauty. The grouping of different species 

 together, so essential to the former, is 

 almost as necessary to the latter. Wherever 

 geraniums, heaths, azaleas, camellias, &c., 

 are not only flowered, but grown in one 

 house, the grouping style is not only the 

 best in a cultural sense, but is the most 

 effective. By placing geraniums and other 

 plants in flower in the warmest end of such 

 a house, and heaths at the very coldest, it 

 is amazing what a difference of climate, 

 succession of bloom, and inexhaustible 

 pleasure may be derived from a single 

 house. But if the plants are crushed to- 

 gether higgledy-piggledy in one house, a 

 suffocating sense of confusion and want of 

 space will be the primary impression re- 

 ceived and retained. Even houses of bed- 

 ding plants may be made interesting by 

 grouping the different species. Edgings 

 and lines of demarcation, and different 

 shapes, groups, or masses, on stage, 

 shelves, or floor, may be formed with 

 variegated geraniums, alyssums, cinerarias, 

 &c. Lines of gold or silver-edged gera- 

 niums may not only be stored away, but 

 form beautiful objects on conservatory or 

 greenhouse shelves, to contrast with Chinese 

 primroses, &c. 



Plants, Bedding. See Bedding Plants. 

 Plants, Biennial. See Biennials. 

 Plants, BulbOUS. See Bulbous Plants. 



Plants, Classification and Cha- 

 racteristics of. 



Plants are broadly classified by the 



