SECT. XVIII. OF FLOWERS. 303 



out wider into nursery beds for use in autumn, or 

 the following spring : The latter season will do for 

 final planting, though the former is best, as the roots 

 get established in the ground ; when if moved in the 

 spring they meet with a check. It is best, if pos- 

 sible, to transplant with earth about the roots ; but 

 shorten all straggling fibres, and cut off dead and 

 rambling leaves. In severe winters, those moved in 

 autumn (if not very early) are sometimes killed, and 

 therefore a few may be reserved to spring, in case of 

 such an accident; when being moved with good 

 balls of earth, they will not be much checked. If 

 planted late (as November) let them have fine w r ell 

 broke earth about the roots, and lay moss, old bark, 

 or small stones round them for protection /rom frost. 

 Some of the Perennials might form another class, 

 and be called Biennial-Perennial, &c. from their 

 uncertain continuance. 



3. OF PERENNIALS. 



This class (as has been observed) is very numer- 

 ous, and the plants are propagated, many of them 

 by their roots, according to their nature, as fibrous, 

 bulbous, &c. some by layers, suckers, offsets, slips, 

 cuff Ings, and a few by seed only. All sorts (bear- 

 ing seed) are occasionally propagated this way, for 

 new varieties, or to produce finer plants, as those 

 from seed generally prove, with respect to strength, 

 symmetry, and flowers. It happens, however, when 

 propagated from seed, that though sometimes a bet- 

 ter, more frequently a less beautiful flower is pro- 

 duced of many sorts ; and this is the reason why 

 the other modes of propagation are so much adopted, 

 by offsets, Sec. as thus they come identically the 



