May, 191 1 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



115 



The China Aster and Gladiolus 



John Cavers, Oakville 



ieties must be separated from the later 

 ones for planting in the sections of 

 country referred to. 



The Gladiolus is one of the plants 



THE China Aster, which, by the way, The corms may be planted in rows and that make a flourishing growth in these 

 is not an aster, is one of the flower- grown like vegetables — the rows a foot newer sections, and it is well calculated 

 ing plants that has been greatly im- apart and the corms four or five inches to brighten the homes of the pioneers ; 

 proved in the past ten years ; and its pop- in the row— or they may be planted in but only early varieties should be sent 

 ularity has kept pace with the improve- groups or beds, the corms five or six there. If the Gladiolus is to take its 

 ment of the plant. This improvement has inches apart. They may be planted any legitimate place in the gardens of this 

 been brought about chiefly by the selec- time in May or June and at intervals of country dealers must give attention to 

 tion of the best plants for seed-producing ten days if a succession of bloom be the season of blooming of the varieties 

 purposes. There is perhaps no flower- desired. For late planting only large sent into the more northerly portions, 

 ing annual so dependent on the quality corms should be used ; small corms 

 of the seed for success in its growth as should be planted early. If the soil be 

 the China Aster. Quality in the seed and light the corms should be planted four 

 continuous growth are the two chief fac- to six inches deep, the large corms 

 tors in China aster cultivation. The deeper than the smaller sizes; if the soil 

 best soil is a strong loam ; the best loca- be heavy, planting at three or four 

 tion is a sunny exposure ; and one of the inches will give better results than deeper 

 best fertilizers is wood ashes. planting. A frequent stirring of the sur- 



Work in a Calgary Garden* 



W. R. Reader, Calgary 



Annuals I have grown include Ager- 

 atum, sown under glass middle of April, 

 Antirrhinum or Snapdragon, Tom 

 Thumb, the ordinary tall variety, and 



Queen of the North. The two former 

 The chief improvement that has been face soil will repay for the time and varieties were not satisfactory, flower- 



made in the China Aster in late years 

 is in the form and size of the bloom — 

 not only in circumference but in depth 

 also. The tendency appears to be to- 

 wards a more ball-like form. This ten- 

 dency, if persisted in, will have the 



labor, but it must be shallow working, 

 for the roots are near the surface. A 

 steel rake shortened to about eight 

 inches is a good tool for this purpose, 

 if the corms are planted in rows. 



There is a feature about the culture 



ing too late to be of much service. 

 Queen of the North is a white inter- 

 mediate strain, and was most satisfac- 

 tory, flowering very early, and continu- 

 ing a mass of bloom till destroyed by 

 frost . It grows about nine inches high. 



effect of giving a larger proportion of of the Gladiolus that has not been given and makes a good second-row plant, but 



much attention either in the United is a little too tall as an edging plant. 

 States or in this country, but which is Anchusa succeeded well sown directly in 



11 



blooms without the yellow centre, which 

 is the bane of aster growers for cut- 

 flower purposes. Another tendency is 

 to bring the later varieties in earlier in 

 the season. The terminal buds of aster 

 plants should always be removed, and 

 the number of the lateral buds should be 

 reduced to eight or twelve, if large 

 blooms be desired. 



The China .-Xster plant, if it is well 

 rooted and is carefully packed, is one 

 that carries well, and no serious check 

 in its growth takes place even when 

 several days are required for its journey. 

 It is known that these plants have been 

 successfully shipped from Ontario t(i 

 points in Cape Breton on the east and 

 in Saskatchewan on the west. The 

 plants are inexpensive, and they are 

 well calculated not only to give immedi- 

 ate pleasure, but to further that finer 

 taste for floral beauty that is a growing 

 asset in our national life. 



THE GLADIOLUS 



The culture of the Gladiolus is ap- 

 parently on the eve of a great expan- 

 sion. Many acres are now devoted to 



Its cultivation and increase, but the • especially important in our country, 



supply is not equal to the demand. And viz., the time of blooming of the diff'er- 



this demand is based on substantial rea- ent varieties. There is a range of six 



sons. The simple planting and easy weeks or more between the very early 



culture of the corms, the annual repro- and the very late sorts. In newer On- 



duction and increase of these corms, the tario and in the Northwest Provinces, 



size, beauty of form, and gorgeous the early frosts which usually occur in 



loloring of the blooms, the absolute the end of August or early in September satisfactory. It seemed to suffer badly 

 freedom from injury by insects and al- will cut off many varieties before they from the heat and lack of atmospheric 

 most immunity from disease are surely have bloomed. It is cruel treatment on moisture, and the flowers became very 

 good reasons for its popularity. the part of dealers to send corms into poor and open-eyed as the season ad- 

 Good corn or potato ground will suit these sections of the country that will vanced. It might be more satisfactory, 

 the gladiolus. It should have a sunny only be a disappointment to the grow- perhaps, if planted in .shade. The corn- 

 exposure, and if a plentiful supply of crs. There are earlv varieties that will mon Marigold succeeded from sowings 



moisture can be given when the buds are give abundant bloom before the time 



well advanced good results will follow. of these early frosts, but these early var- garf'^H^liouTtura'l s^^ifty."'"' ^'°^ *''* "'"" 



Artistic Ground* af Judfc Klein, Walkerton, Ontario 



A silver spruce and cut leafed weeping maple cedar hedge may be seen in the foreground 



and a spruce hedge in the rear. 



the open the first week in May. It is 

 one of the purest blue annuals we have; 

 height, 18 inches. Bellis Perennis, the 

 common English double daisy, though 

 only a perennial, is like the Snapdragon, 

 for all practical purposes, an annual in 

 this country. This I did not find very 



