ANNONA 



ANNUALS 



295 



excavated at the base, greenish yellow, usually marked 

 within by a wine-colored or purplish red spot at 

 the base; inner petals minute, ovate or obovate, 

 keeled on the outside; stamens with broad terminal 

 connectives of a cinnamon-brown or orange-red color; 

 carpels distinct, clothed with pale brown hairs, sul- 

 cate on the ventral side and terminating in oblong 

 or taper-pointed styles: fr. about the size of an orange, 

 spheroid or heart-shapeo^ composed of loosely coher- 

 ing carpels rounded at the extremities and grooved 

 on the inner side, forming a squamose or tuberculated 

 surface, greenish yellow and covered with a glaucous 

 bloom at first, but soon turning black in spots when 

 handled, and the waxy bloom easily rubbed off; pulp 

 yellowish white, creamy or custard-like, very sweet 

 and pleasantly flavored; seeds dark brown, smooth, 

 closely resembling those of A. reticulata. Trop. Amer., 

 now widely cult, in all tropical countries. Less robust 

 than A. reticulata, with fr. much more highly prized, 

 and produced several times during the year instead 

 of only once, as in that species. Like A. reticulata, it 

 is essentially tropical and will not thrive in subtropical 

 regions which are suitable for the cult, of the cherimoya. 

 It has been intro. into .fLJEla^. Delicious sherbets are 

 made from its custard-like pulp, often with 

 the addition of a little lemon juice, but it is 

 never cooked or made into preserves or jelly, 

 like the soursop. The fr., when green, as well 

 as the seeds and Ivs., is used for destroying 

 vermin; and the crushed Ivs., in the form of 

 poultices, are applied to ulcers and malignant 

 sores in the W. Indies. The root is a drastic 

 purgative. \V. E. SAFFORD. 



ANNUALS. What are known to gardeners 

 as "annuals" are plants that bloom in the 

 open the same year the seeds are sown and 

 that do not live over winter. 



These plants are not necessarily true an- 

 nuals; for annuals in the botanical sense are 

 plants that normally complete their entire life- 

 cycle within one vegetation-year. Perennial 

 plants that bloom freely from seed the first year 

 and do not usefully survive till another year 

 may be classed as annuals by the gardener and 

 treated as such : these are properly plur-annuals, 

 a group standing midway between annuals and 

 perennials. The garden Nicoliana affmis (prop- 

 erly N. alata) and pinks and snapdragons are 

 such. It may be said that plur-annuals are plants of 

 somewhat indefinite duration that are terminated by 

 cold weather rather than by their normal maturity 

 within the season. Many real perennials, as castor 

 bean, are treated as annuals in northern gardens. 



Some of the biennial plants those that normally 

 bloom and perish in the second year may flower the 



showy garden flowers. As a rule, they are easily grown, 

 producing quick results and affording a great variety of 

 colors, forms and foliage. Some of the annuals last only 

 a few weeks in bloom, others continue throughout the 

 summer. There are trailers and climbers, dwarfs and 

 tall growers. By a judicious selection and arrangement 

 of kinds, the handsomest effect may be produced. Many 

 of the showy kinds are adapted to mass effects, while the 

 dwarf-growing sorts make good flowering edgings for 

 beds or walks. With the latter, handsome ribbon-beds 

 are possible, but this requires care in the selection of 

 kinds, and as the use of the trimming shears is almost 

 precluded, it is best to limit oneself to simple designs. 

 Annuals are well suited to the covering of bare spots of 

 ground in the border. Like other flowers, they dis- 

 play best when seen against a background of foliage. 

 The tall and leafy kinds make excellent covers for 

 unsightiy objects. For climbing and twining kinds, see 

 Vines. See, also, Everlastings and Grasses. 



Classification as to hardiness. 



It is customary to divide annuals into three classes: 

 (1) Hardy annuals are those that are sown directly in 

 the open ground where they are to grow. They are 



215. Annuals filling the formal space between a drive and a tree-group. 



vitally strong, developing without artificial heat, and 

 may be sown from February to May, according to the 

 season and latitude. Some of them, as sweet peas, may 

 be sown even in the fall. For this class, a well-prepared 

 border on the south side of a fence or wall, or other 

 sheltered place, is usually preferred for early sowings. 

 From here the seedlings are transplanted later where 

 they are to grow. Some sorts, however, do not bear 



fir<t year if the seeds are sown early and the plants are they are to grow. Some sorts, however, do not bear 

 hurried along. Of these, Canterbury bell, ipomopsis transplanting well, consequently must be sown in the 



and some of the oenotheras are examples. See Biennials. 



The annuals of gardens are grown directly from seeds, 

 in usual practice. Some plants are reared annually 

 from bulbs or tubers, as crocus, lilies, potato: these are 

 really perennials that die each year to the ground and 

 do not perish root and branch. To these plants the name 

 pseud-annuals (i.e., false annuals) has been given. 



Among the true annuals there are many grades. Some 

 of them are winter annuals, growing in the cool part of 

 the year and carrying over winter under the snow, as 

 the common creeping chickweed and other crucifers. 

 In the arid regions of the West, many annual plants 

 spring into growth with the rains and thrive in the cool 

 months. Many of the annuals are summer annuals and 

 others are autumn annuals: these two classes are prac- 

 tically the only ones that are cultivated in the open 

 for ornament. 



Among the annuals are found some of the most 



places they are to occupy. Among such are poppies, 

 eschscholtzia, bartonia, Venus' looking-glass, lupine, 

 malope, and the dwarf convolvulus. (2) Half-hardy 

 annuals are usually sown in February or March in the 

 window or a warm frame. The season is usually not 

 long enough to enable them to reach full development 

 in the open. In the early stages of growth they need 

 protection and warmth. Such kinds are sometimes 

 sown in the fall and wintered over in a coldframe. When 

 once established, they are hardy with slight protection. 

 Some of the kinds are grown to their greatest perfec- 

 tion only in this way. (3) Tender annuals require 

 still more warmth, and are started from January to 

 May in the greenhouse or other suitable place. They 

 commonly need a temperature of 60 to 70. The danger 

 with early-grown seedlings, especially those started 

 in the window, is over-crowding and want of light. 

 As soon as crowding begins, the plants should be 



