40 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



from a remote period, from the higher cn-ptogams, such as Selagi- 

 nellas and Lycopodiiims ; that the Gymnosperms such as the 

 Coniferae and Cycadaceae were probably the first plants to produce 

 seeds; then probably came the woody trees and shrubs, and after 

 that the herbaceous plants, and no doubt after these came the 

 annuals and biennials. To answer the question as to why they 

 are so short lived — it probably came about in this way: At one 

 time, where these plants were growing they were about to be driven 

 out of existence by some agents — probably by cold in cold climates 

 and by drought and heat in dry and hot climates. When a plant's 

 life is in danger it always tries to reproduce itself. Therefore these 

 plants under those hard conditions flowered early and produced an 

 abundance of seeds which carried them through the trying seasons 

 and they were able to again reproduce themselves when congenial 

 conditions prevailed. Doing this same thing for many years they 

 inherited this mode of reproducing themselves annually from seed, 

 and were saved in this way from extinction. This change did not 

 take place all at once, but required a long period of time. The 

 whole question is one of environment and inheritance. 



From a horticultural standpoint this shortness of life is not such 

 a drawback as some people imagine it is; the fragile flowers and 

 transient beauty of the annuals make them all the dearer to those 

 who love a touch of sentiment in their gardens. 



Should w^e forget how important the economic annuals and 

 biennials are? 



Are not most of our garden and farm vegetables annuals and 

 biennials? And are not nearly all of our cereals annuals? Just 

 think for a moment, if all our annual vegetable and cereal crops 

 were destroyed what should we do? 



Geographical Distribution. 



The annuals we have in our gardens come from all parts of the 

 world and anyone who loves variety in the garden cannot do with- 

 out these plants. They are not like the herbaceous perennials, of 

 which we can only grow such kinds as come from cold climates 

 that will stand our severe winters. During the summer and fall 



