CHAPTER II. 



On the Culture of Perennials. 



ART. 1. Perennial Herbaceous Plants. 



PERENNIAL herbaceous plants, are those which die down to 

 the root yearly, the roots of which remain many years ; they 

 are exemplified in the Phlox, Paeony, Golden Rod, Asters, 

 and many other kinds of native plants. 



There is no class of plants more deserving general culture 

 in the flower garden, than perennials ; which, when once in- 

 troduced, require but little attention; their increase is also 

 of the most encouraging nature, which, in most varieties, is 

 simply the dividing of, or parting the roots, in summer, after 

 they have done flowering, and choosing a moist, rainy time 

 for the operation, in order that they may readily make young 

 roots, and become well established before winter. By this 

 method, perennial plants generally flower better in the spring, 

 than in the most general method of planting late in the 

 fall or spring; their roots, in such instances, are not so well 

 established, and consequently flower weaker. 



Herbaceous plants may be divided into three classes, 

 namely: Bulbous, as the Tulip, Hyacinth, and most Lilies; 

 Tuberons, as the Dahlia and Pxony; and Fibrous, as the 

 Perennial Phlox, Coreopsis, Delphinium, &c. These sepa- 

 rate divisions may be again subdivided into hardy and tender, 

 with reference to the different climates to which they belong : 

 for instance, among bulbs, Tulips and Hyacinths are hardy 

 the Jacobean Lily, Mexican Lily, and Gladiolus Citycinus, 

 are tender ; among tuberous roots, the Pseony is hardy, and 

 the Dahlia is tender; and among fibrous, most kinds are 

 hardy ; (and, indeed, the greater portion of the best hardy 

 perennial plants are indigenous to this country ;) although, in 

 many cases, they are killed in the winter by wet saturating 

 their crowns, when left bare and uncovered ; it is therefore 



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