ON EEARIXG FLOWERS. 



131 



Late-flowering Starwort {Aster serotinus). FI. in September. Blue. 

 Many-flowered Sunflower and varieties {HeliantJius multiflorus, et 



var.) Fl. in September. Yellow. 

 Chinese Chrysanthemum and varieties {Chrysartthemum sinense, et 



var.) Fl. in October. Various colours. 



It is presumed that the preceding list, though brief, 

 will be found to contain as many plants as can be conve- 

 niently admitted into any garden of limited extent, and 

 on this account it will be seen that many beautiful plants 

 of this description which are diflBcult to procure, and 

 others which are almost worthless, have been entirely 

 omitted. We shall, therefore, now offer a few observa- 

 tions on their general culture. 



The plants of this division are appropriately called by 

 gardeners " herbaceous plants,'* to distinguish them from 

 other perennials of shrubby habits ; and as they so closely 

 resemble each other in their mode of growth, it will not 

 be necessary to treat particularly of each individual plant 

 or tribe, but merely to lay down a few general rules for 

 cultivation, which will apply to the whole. 



Perennials of this description may be multiplied in 

 various ways ; those which produce seed, such as wall- 

 flowers, primroses, columbines, pentstemon, &c., are very 

 easily propagated, as they require no attention further than 

 that of sowing the seed, and transplanting them when they 

 have attained a sufficient size. Seeds of any of the kinds 

 which produce them may be sown early in the spring, in 

 beds or drills, in a light loamy soil, covering them with 

 more or less earth according to their size : small seeds 

 require a very shallow covering, and larger ones to be 

 buried from half-an-inch to an inch in the soil. As soon 

 as they have formed three or four leaves, they should be 

 thinned to a sufficient distance from each other, and the 

 thinnings, if taken up with care, may be transplanted else- 

 where if desh^ed. They should not be allowed to flower 

 the first season, and in the succeeding spring they may 

 be transplanted to the flower-borders, removing them 

 with as much earth as possible attached to the roots. 



As the double-flowered sorts rarely produce seed, these 

 must be multiphed by dividing the roots ; and many others 

 which do ripen their seed, may be propagated with much 



