HOW TO GROir ASTERS AND PHLOX. 



cuttings have to be kept for a long time, 

 oiled paper should be used for an out- 

 side wrap to keep the parcel damp. 



Appended is a few of the shrubs 

 that may be grown from cuttings : any 

 plant can be propagated hy layering : — 

 Althea, Cytisus, Carolina Allspice, 



Deutzia, Honeysuckle, Hydrangea pani- 

 culata, Japan Rose, Siberian Pea tree. 

 Smoke tree, Spiraea (a large class of 

 plants), Weigelia, etc., will all succeed 

 without much difficulty. 



P. E. BUCKE, 

 London, Out. 



HOW TO GROW ASTEES AND PHLOX. 



ANY owners of small gardens 

 are deterred from growing 

 as freely as they would like, 

 such very desirable flowers 

 as Asters and Phlox Drummondi, from 

 the mistaken idea that to be successful 

 with them they must buy plants ready 

 to set out or grow them in a hot-bed. 

 If plants are bought the expense is quite 

 a serious item if many are wanted, while 

 the care of a hot-bed I have found m 

 my experience to be one of the most 

 troublesome things connected with a 

 garden, only those who can give their 

 whole attention to it can hope to suc- 

 ceed. The weather is so fickle in the 

 spring that only constant watchfulness 

 will prevent disaster ; the neglect of an 

 hour may result from a sudden change 

 of temperature in the freezing or burn- 

 ing up of your plants. I find it quite 

 satisfactory with all such plants to sow 

 the seed in the open air as early in the 

 spring as the ground can be got into a 

 seedable condition, in a warm sheltered 

 spot, and transplanted when large 

 enough. The best sort for a seed-bed 

 is a good heavy loam, stiff enough not 

 to fall away from the roots when you are 

 transplanting, as a sandy soil is apt to 

 do. Rake the bed with a sharp steel 

 rake till the soil is as fine as you can 

 make it. Mark furrows 15 inches apart 

 and ^ in. deep, drop the seed 2 to 3 in. 

 apart, cover and firm the earth well over 

 the row. A common hoe is a very con- 

 venient tool for that purpose, a good pat 

 with the back of it brings the earth into 

 close contact with the seed, which is a 



very important element of success in the 

 planting of all small seeds. As soon as 

 your plants are — for asters 3 to 4 in., 

 and for phlox 5 to 6 in high, they are 

 ready for transplanting, which is best 

 done on a cloudy day after rain. Re- 

 move with a garden trowel two out of 

 every three plants in the row to wherever 

 wanted ; those that are left are at a suit- 

 able distance apart for flowering, and 

 make a good reserve for cut flowers, 

 when you can cut freely without robbing 

 your border, and also serve if you grow 

 named varieties to keep the names of 

 each sort without labeling the plants in 

 the border. 



Last season plants of Phlox Drum- 

 mondi grown in this way from seed sown 

 May 4th, came into flower on July 12th, 

 and remained in bloom till November. 

 Asters sown April 21st, came into flower 

 August 2nd, were at their best from 

 August 15th to September 5th, and were 

 all over when frost came. To have the 

 best flowers, which are always the first 

 to open, in bloom at exhibition time, it 

 would be well to make a second sowing 

 two or three weeks later. 



There may be some kinds of asters 

 that require a longer season to reach 

 maturity than is available planting in 

 this way, but I have found it a perfect 

 success with the following varieties : — • 

 Comet, Victoria, Dwarf, Chrysanthe- 

 mem, Queen of the Market, doliath, 

 limperor. Rose, Globe, Truffants, Peony, 

 Perfection, (^)uilled ("lerman, Prince of 

 Wales, Japanese Ciiant, etc 



Ottawa. R. B. W iivri;. 



192 



