1J6 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



This is undoubtedly the best variety, and essential in even the 

 smallest collection of ferns, and it may be grown ei^ually well on a 

 shady rockery, in a greenhouse, or a fern-case ; height eighteen to 

 thirty inches ; but in this respect variable, some specimens never 

 making fronds more than twelve inches long. 



JProlifcrum Wollastoni. — Less profusely bulbil-beariug than tbe 

 last, and differing from it in having more distant divisions and the 

 exceedingly finely-divided condition of the lower parts of the fronds, 

 which renders it a most elegant object ; height thirty to fifty inches. 



Parvissimum. — This is a diminutive fern, bearing at first sight some 

 resemblance to proliferum, but soon found to be quite distinct. The 

 fronds are lance-shaped, the pinna? broad and overlapping like the 

 tiles of a house, the pinnules are not deeply cut, and are all elegantly 

 rounded on their anterior edges, and finely toothed. It is one of 

 tne prettiest miniature ferns in cultivation. This variety has been 

 received from Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co., Exeter ; all the 

 foregoing have been obtained from Mr. Sim, of Foot's Crav, Kent. 



S H. 



CULTIVATION OF ASTEES FOR EXHIBITION AND 

 DECOEATION. 



BY WILLIAM HILLS. 



N" the April number of the Floral "Woeli), 1S66 (page 

 116), I presented the reader M'ith a note on stocks and 

 asters, to which I will now refer them, as in it will be 

 found some useful information on the varieties that are 

 most likely to give satisfaction. I shall now speak only 

 of the cultivation. 



To begin at the beginning, it is very important to get good seed ; 

 and in order to do this, it is necessary to pay a good price, and to 

 have it from a respectable house, which will be a guarantee for the 

 genuineness of the article purchased. Much, however, of the want 

 of success with asters arises from sowing too early, and neglecting 

 to give them sufficiently generous treatment, so that the seed often 

 gets blamed when it is the management which is at fault. Asters 

 should not be sown before the latter end of Apiil or the beginning 

 of May ; nothing whatever can be gained by sowing earlier, but 

 much is likely to be lost, for if they receive a check during growth 

 from a few days' extra cold weather, it renders them very liable to 

 the attacks of green-fly, or any other kind of vermin ; and after a 

 sudden severe check of this kind, it is almost impossible ever to get 

 them up to their standard of beauty. Therefore, remember first of 

 all, that moist warm weather is most favourable to this tribe of 

 plants. Many among our amateur friends look at the pictures of 

 the beautiful varieties lately brought out, and then heave a halt- 

 sigh, as much as to say, " Ah, that is all very well in a nursery or in 

 a picture, but it is quite out of the question for me to produce such 

 flowers as those." Now, my dear friends, this is not by any means 

 the case, and if you will only give a moderate amount of care and 



