Bessera

Two species. Greenhouse bulbous perennials. Offsets. Peat and sand.

Beta

Beet. Seven species. Hardy biennials. B. trigyna is an herbaceous perennial. Seeds. Rich mould.

Betel Nut

Piper Betle.

Betonica

Betony. Ten species. Hardy herbaceous perennials. Suckers. Common garden soil.

Betony

Betonica.

Betony

Teucrium betonicum.

Betula

Birch. Twenty-two species. Chiefly hardy deciduous trees and shrubs. B. carpinifolia, B. pon-tica, B. populifolia, are evergreens, Grafting or budding, and layers for the dwarf species. Common garden soil.

Bibio

Bibio marci, St. Mark's Fly, of which Mr. Curtis gives the following particulars: -

The larvae of this insect are generally gregarious, living in large groups of a hundred or more in strawberry-beds, vine borders, flower pots, and similar undisturbed spots, feeding upon the roots, and sometimes destroying the entire plant. Bouche says they completely demolished his bed of Ranunculuses for several successive years, by eating up the tubers. The larva is of a dark brown colour, somewhat cylindrical, the helly flattened, moderately broad, and nearly linear; the head is comparatively small, deep brown, sometimes of a chestnut colour, and very shining; they change to pups generally towards the end of March; these are of a pale ochreous colour, the head being brighter.

The female lays her eggs in the earth, and in the dung of horses and cows, in May; they do not hatch until August. - Gard. Chron.

Bidens

Fourteen species. Chiefly hardy plants. Seeds, suckers, division, according to their habit and duration. Common soil.

Biennial

Biennial, is a plant which, being produced from seed in one year, perfects its seed and dies during the year following. Biennials may often be made to endure longer if prevented ripening their seeds, and many exotics, biennials in their native climes, are perennials in our stoves.

Hardy Biennials

Some of these ripen their seeds as early as August, in which case they may be sown as soon as harvested. Others ripening their seeds later must have these reserved from sowing until May. The double varieties of wall-flowers, stocks, etc, are propagated by cuttings.

I'Nune Biennials

These required the shelter of a frame during the early stages of their growth; to be removed thence in May to the borders, where they bloom in July and August.

Bifrenaria

Three species. Stove epiphytes. Division.

Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus.

Bilimbi Tree

Averrhoa bilimbi.

Bill

Bill (Fig. 21), a sharp-edged tool, employed in cutting hedges, sharpening stakes, etc. It should never be used in pruning valuable trees; but where the branch is too strong to be cut with the knife, the saw ought always to be applied.

Fig. 21.

Bill 21

Billardiera

Six species. Greenhouse evergreen climbers. Cuttings. Rich loam and peat.