The Chief Gardener smiled and shook his head.
"I'm afraid we do not think much about the plant's rights," he said, "unless they happen to be the same as our own. And after all there are plenty of seeds saved every year—more than are ever planted."
"And are potatoes biennials, too?" asked Davy.
"No, potatoes are perennials. In the right climate they would live on year after year, laying up new strength each year for the next season's growth. Dahlias are perennials, too, and most of the grasses, and, of course, all trees, and shrubs. Your pinks, Prue, and sweet-williams, and the hollyhocks, are perennial, and live through the winter, though they bear a great deal of seed, which shows how determined they are to live on. These chrysanthemums also bear seed, and most plants have at least two ways, and some as many as four ways of producing others like them. Your onions, Davy, can be produced in four different ways. They can be grown from seed, from sets—which are little seed-onions taken out of the ground and kept through the winter—from bulblets—which are the little onions you saw growing on the top of the stalk last summer—and from multipliers—which are large bulbs broken into several small parts."
THE SEED AND SETS OF THE ONION
"I should think an onion was surely perennial enough," said Davy, "with four ways of keeping alive."
"Can you name the three kinds of plants now?" asked the Chief Gardener, turning to little Prue.