COMPOSIT.E. 153 



are in cultivation. They are dwarf handsome plants, with 

 very large conspicuous flowers, and are suitable for either rock- 

 work or border, in light, sandy, moderately rich, but well-drained 

 soil. Propagate by division. 



A. glaciale {Glacier A.) — This plant grows from 6 to 9 

 inches high, producing rigid, oblong, shortly-stalked leaves, and 

 very large bright yellow flower-heads, one to a stem, appearing 

 in July and August. Native of the loftiest positions on the 

 Alps, inhabiting moraines. 



A. scorpioides {Mountain A.) — This species grows about i 

 foot high, with broadly-egg-shaped leaves, and produces very 

 large orange or deep-yellow flower-heads, one to a stem, in 

 June and July. It inhabits similar positions with the last, but 

 not usually ascending to such frigid heights, and is the more 

 handsome of the two. 



Aster {Star-wort). — The species of this very extensive 

 group are popularly named Michaelmas and Christmas Daisies, 

 on account of the lateness of their flowering period, and a 

 resemblance which the flower-heads of some of the species 

 have to those of the Daisy. There are perhaps 70 or 80 spe- 

 cies of Star-worts in cultivation in botanic gardens in this coun- 

 try, and in some nurseries are to be found a few of the best ; 

 but they have generally been long banished from private gar- 

 dens — or if about them at all, they are huddled up in some out- 

 of-the-way place, where they do no good, nor have any chance 

 of doing good. We have not many more useful plants. Many 

 of them are deficient in tidiness of habit ; many, also, are far 

 from possessing ornamental flowers, and for this latter reason 

 should not be afl"orded room in any but botanical gardens ; but 

 the first-named defect should have very little weight against the 

 profusion of gaily-coloured flower-heads which many species 

 produce at so Httle expense and trouble up till the end of the 

 year. Flora has few gifts to bestow in open-air productions at 

 Christmas-time in our climate, and such as she gives in this 

 genus are not to be compared with those of more favoured sea- 

 sons ; but they are the best of their time, and very useful ; and 

 if we decline them on the score of the ungainly habit of some 

 of them, we will hardly be able to clear ourselves from the 

 accusation of fastidiousness, for we spare no trouble with 

 equally unhandsome and not more useful things at times when 

 there is less reason to do so. They are plants of the most easy 

 cultural requirements, flourishing best in light, dry, sandy soil, in 

 sunny, warm positions. All may be grown in beds or borders, 

 or amongst shrubs ; and for many of the taller and more strag- 

 gling species there could be no more fitting position than the 



