CALLISTEPHUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. calochortus. 



469 



be found that they are more satisfactory 

 on good open soils than on heavy ones. 



Varieties. — China Asters may be 

 classed according to height, habit, 

 character of flower. Tall Asters com- 

 prise the fine Pasony-flowered, the tall 

 Chrysanthemum, the Emperor, the tall 

 Victoria, the Quilled, and a few others. 

 Kinds of medium height are the dwarfer 

 forms of the Victoria, the fine Cocardeau, 

 the Rose, and the Porcupine. The dwarf 

 forms comprise the short Chrysanthemum, 

 the dwarf pyramidal, and specially the 

 dwarf bouquet, which is one of the most 

 beautiful for pot culture. The best bedding 

 kinds are the medium-growing Victoria, 

 the Rose, and the dwarf Chrysanthemum, 

 as these vary from 9 to 12 in. in height, 

 and form good bunches of bloom on each 

 plant, ancl fine masses of colour collec- 

 tively. The dwarf boucjuet kinds, whilst 

 specially good for pot culture, are valuable 

 as edgings to beds of taller kinds. For 

 pot culture for exhibition the best are the 

 medium-growing Victorias, as these, if of 

 a good strain, possess quality, and hand- 

 some even heads of bloom. 



Culture. — Mr. J. Betteridge, a very 

 successful grower of asters, writes : — 

 " For several years I always sowed the 

 seed in bottom-heat ; now I sow it, be- 

 tween 26th March and 26th April, in a 

 cold frame, under glass, in drills 6 in. 

 apart, and not too thick in the drills. A 

 few days suffice to bring the plants above 

 the soil, when air must be given, or they 

 will be weak. When large enough, prick 

 them out into another cold frame, slightly 

 shaded, where they will soon root, and 

 after they are strong enough to handle 

 plant them out in well-manured soil, and 

 be careful not to break the tender fibres 

 of the roots. Let the rows be i ft. apart, 

 and plant the strongest plants i ft. from 

 each other, in showery weather, and they 

 will soon root. If the weather be hot give 

 them a little water till rooted : afterwards 

 keep them clear of weeds. ^About the first 

 week in August top-dress with manure 

 from an old hotbed, giving a good soak- 

 ing all over in dry weather. , 



"Soil. — China Asters like a deep rich 

 soil, and, should dry weather set in, it is 

 only in such soil that really fine flowers 

 can be obtained. Planted in the ordinary 

 way, they are weeds in comparison with 

 those that are well nourished. Confined 

 to the top shallow crust of earth, they soon 

 starve. The best way to manage them 

 is to dig and cast off the top spit to one 

 side, handy to be returned to its place 

 again, and then to trench and break up 

 the soil below, working in plenty of short 



manure. In very light soils a few barrow- 

 loads of clay, chopped fine and mixed 

 well in, will help The thing to aim at is 

 to keep the soil cool and moist ; then, if 

 the weather be favourable, the plants will 

 take care of themselves. 



Calluna. See Erica Vulgaris. 



CALOCHOETUS {Mariposa Lily).—K 

 lovely family of bulbous plants from 

 Western North America, belonging to the 

 Lily Order. Forming one of the most 

 charming groups of hardy bulbous plants, 

 the colours being so varied and delicate. 

 Excepting the Mexican species, which 

 are, fortunately, few, Calochorti are hardy ; 

 but my experience is that unless on very 

 warm soils their culture is precarious in 

 our country, and no wonder, considering 

 they come from one of the most genial 

 and sunny of climates. 



They are so singularly beautiful, how- 

 ever, that many will attempt their culti- 

 vation, and the advice of Mr. Carl 

 Purdy, who has studied the wild species 

 in their native wilds, and cultivated them, 

 is the best we can have. 



The Culture of Calochorti. — 

 Calochorti are natives of a vast region in 

 North America, stretching from far east 

 of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific 

 Ocean, and from Northern Mexico to 

 British America. From the sea-coast 

 and islands they grow from 6000 feet to 

 9000 feet altitude on the peaks. Some 

 are natives of the intensely hot deserts of 

 Southern California and Arizona, and 

 some grow in the moist meadows of 

 Oregon in a climate differing but little 

 from that of England. In Montana and 

 other States of the inland region the 

 species indigenous there have to bear as 

 low a temperature as 40^ below zero. In 

 the soils in which they naturally grow 

 there is as much diversity. Clay, sand, 

 loam and rocky debris are respectively the 

 chosen homes of certain species, and 

 several choose the blackest and stickiest 

 of clays. One is found in salt meadows 

 and many in grassy meadows. 



I have at different times tried nearly 

 every known species in many soils and 

 situations. The winter climate of Ukiah 

 is quite wet, with the thermometer often 

 at 20~ to 24°, and sometimes as low as 

 15° above zero. Often the Calochort 

 leaves are frozen till they crackle, but I 

 have never known any injury to result. 

 In spring there is abundant rain until 

 their flowering time, while our summer is 

 perfectly dry. Perfect drainage is the first 

 essential to success for all sorts. I have 

 gradually come to the use of three mixtures. 

 Along our river banks there is a winter 



