256 



HORTICULTURE 



February 22, 1913 



Development of the China Aster 



The China Aster after being in culti- 

 vation about ISO years seems to be 

 just beginning the era of its greatest 

 development. The greatest progress 

 has been made within the last five 

 years. As introduced from China it 



was originally a 

 foot and one-half 

 to two feet high, 

 upright, and with 

 single flowers in 

 blue, violet o r 

 white. The first 

 development was 

 the production of 

 double flower 

 forms and then 

 came the varie- 

 gated, quilled, and 

 finally (1890-1S95) 

 long-petalled, com- 

 mercial forms such 

 as Comet, Queen 

 of the Market and 

 Branching. The 

 numbers of vari- 

 eties have been in- 

 creasing until now 

 some of the Euro- 

 pean firms cata- 

 logue 500 to 650 

 varieties. These 

 are largely dwarf 

 or semi-dwarf, or 

 of colors or styles 

 that are not liked 

 i n America, b e - 

 cause here the 

 flowers are grown 

 for cutting rather 

 than for garden 

 decoration. 



The foregoing is 

 a brief summary 

 of the remarks by 

 George Arnold in 

 h i s stereopticon 

 address on "The 

 Aster," before the 

 New York Federa- 

 t i o n of Floral 

 Clubs on February 12, 1913. Tlie pic- 

 tures shown illustrated the develop- 

 ment from the original single aster to 

 the latest evolution, including several 

 photographs in natural colors. Dis- 

 eased plants and methods of culture 



Callistephits chinensis 

 The Orifrin.il China Aster. 



were illustrated and described. Inter- 

 esting pictures, some of them in colors, 

 were shown of the Vick Seed Farm, 

 and the trial grounds. Fields of astera 

 were shown, with ribbons of various 

 colors across them. Methods of plant- 

 ing and cultivating asters, and of har- 

 vesting and curing the seed were also 

 illustrated. We present herewith sev- 

 eral of the pictures reproduced. 



NEW ENGLAND NURSERYMEN. 



The annual convention of the New 

 England Nurserymen's Association 

 will be held at Horticultural Hall, 

 Worcester, Mass., Tuesday and 

 Wednesday, February 25 and 26. A 

 full program for a two-day meeting 

 has been arranged by the executive 

 committee, which will include practi- 

 cal talks and discussions by prominent 

 nurserymen and horticulturists from 

 the several New England states. Dr. 

 W. E. Britton, State Entomologist of 

 Connecticut; A. E. Stene, State Nur- 

 sery Inspector of Rhode Island; Wal- 

 ter C. O'Kane. State Agent of New 

 Hampshire, and Dr. W. S. Regan, In- 

 spector in Massachusetts, are to take 

 part in the discussion of nursery in- 

 spection laws, rules and regulations. 

 Daniel A. Clarke of Fiskville, R. I., 

 will speak on "New Plant Introduc- 

 tions." Stephen Hoyt of New Caanan, 

 Conn., will give an illustrated talk on 

 the moving of big trees. Ernest F. 

 Coe of the Elm City Nurseries, New 

 Haven, Conn., will speak on Horticul- 

 ture in Japan, illustrated by stereop- 

 ticon views. Practical papers on prop- 

 agation, storage houses, herbaceous 

 perennials, etc., will be presented by 

 Mr. Stevens of South Framingham, 

 Mr. Barnes of Yalesville, Conn., and 

 others. An important feature of the 

 occasion will be the annual dinner and 

 banquet at Hotel Warren on Tuesday 

 evening the 25th. 



White Pehfectiox 

 A Modern Tyte. 



Shokt Petaixed Types 

 Not Adapted to Commercial Flower Uses. 



