ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. 83 



cession of flowers throughout the season. By purchasing 

 a collection, the seeds may be had much cheaper than by 

 selecting particular varieties from the catalogue. The 

 most popular and beautiful varieties are cultivated the 

 most extensively, consequently the very best are often to 

 be had the cheapest. We could not improve upon the 

 special lists found in many flower-seed catalogues, and leave 

 this subject by saying that the new double Zinnias, Por- 

 tulacas. Asters, and Everlasting flowers are worthy of all 

 the commendation they have received. 



HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL PLANTS. 



The plants commonly called Herbaceous Perennials be- 

 long to various families, genera, and species, and so great 

 are their numbers, that to cultivate even a small proportion 

 of them would require quite a large garden. Many of 

 them are worthy of more attention than they have gener- 

 ally received, as they are of very easy culture, and their 

 flowers are not excelled by any other class of plants. All 

 that is required to insure success is a good rich soil, and an 

 occasional transplanting to prevent them from becoming 

 too much crowded. With some species the spring is the 

 better time to transplant, with others the fall ; but to desig- 

 nate the peculiar nature and habit of each would require 

 a volume by itself, therefore we can only hint at the fact 

 as we pass, and refer our readers to works which are par- 

 ticularly devoted to this subject. New varieties and 

 species are constantly being discovered and introduced 

 into our gardens, some of which are decided improvements 

 upon the older and Ix^tor known kinds, while others are 



