THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



25 



Field of Asters Growing for Cut Flowers for the Chicago Market. 



without the soil sticking to it. After 

 we press the seed down we sift over the 

 covering of soil. Whatever soil you use 

 for covering it should not be of a tex 

 ture that will bake and form a crust. 

 Loam and leaf-mold, half and half, 

 will do for the majority of seeds. 



The question is often discussed as to 

 how deep seeds should be covered. As 

 a rule the covering may be about the 

 thickness of the seed, but we are sure 

 that many seeds sown outside are cov 

 ered six times their depth. With the 

 aster and similar seeds we sift the 

 compost on till all the seeds are 

 out of sight, and that is suf 

 ficient. Another pressing down of 

 the covering and the least amount 

 of watering will do, as you now 

 have only that thin surface covering to 

 wet. The thickness of the seed in the 

 flat or pan must be entirely a matter of 

 judgment, since it is poor economy 

 to sow very thickly to save space, as 

 the seeds occupy a comparatively small 

 space. I would say that if with asters 

 every seed had a little square of one- 

 eighth of an inch to itself it would be 

 about the ideal way of sowing it, but 

 spacing that or any of our seeds is out 

 of the question. You had better err, 

 however, on the safe side and sow thinly, 

 for if crowded at the start it is a poor 

 beginning for the little plant. 



Seed when first sown (contrary to 

 plants, which it does not hurt to let get 

 on the dry side and then copiously 

 water) should be kept at an even degree 

 of moisture with no extremes. The flats 

 should be kept in a shady place till thft 

 seedlings are above ground, when they 

 should get the full light and not be al 

 lowed to draw up for want of light and 

 ventilation. When well up less watch 

 fulness is necessary. A temperature of 

 55 degrees at night brings up the seed 

 nicely and keeps the young plants grow 



ing till time to transplant into flats or 

 into the hotbed or bench. 



As soon as they have made the first 

 character leaf they should be trans 

 planted. This is an operation that should 

 be done very quickly but should be well 

 done, which is more essential. While the 

 little plant is held by the tips of the 

 leaves by one hand, a rather blunt stick, 

 held in the other, makes a hole in the 

 soil into which let the roots of the plant 

 hang down straight, and then with the 

 stick press the soil around the roots. 

 The plant should be so far in the ground 

 that its seed leaves are only just above 

 the surface. In pressing the soil around 

 the plant don t make a point of squeez 

 ing the soil around the neck of the 

 plant near the surface; that is not the 

 particular place. Put the stick away 

 down by the side so that soil is firmly 

 pressed around the roots; that is the 

 most important operation. If watered 

 at once, thoroughly watered, and shaded 

 for a day or two from the brightest sun, 

 the seedlings scarcely feel the trans 

 planting. 



In the flats for plants we intend to 

 sell to our customers in May and June 

 we put the plants about one inch apart. 

 If sown middle of March it is near 

 the middle of April before they are es 

 tablished in the flats after being trans 

 planted, and they then go into a cold- 

 frame, where in May the glass can be 

 removed. If very large quantities are 

 handled they can be transplanted at once 

 into a coldframe if the soil is dry and 

 warm. If you have no greenhouse the 

 whole operation can be done by the help 

 of a hotbed. 



When extra early asters are wanted 

 they can be taken from the flats in 

 which they were transplanted and put 

 into 2% -inch pots. In this way they 

 will transplant with safety to the open 

 ground. A great many asters are now 



grown on greenhouse benches. For this 

 purpose sow middle of February. For 

 our general crop we sow middle of 

 March. Some of the varieties grow very 

 tall when flowered under glass and need 

 staking and lots of head room. They 

 pay for the labor because you get fine, 

 long-stemmed, clean flowers. Under 

 glass they must be given plenty of water 

 and frequently syringed well syringed, 

 for red spider and thrips are ever ready 

 to attack them in the hot weather. 



For cutting we plant our asters in 

 the best and deepest soil we have, and 

 if it is inclined to keep moist, so much 

 the better.. Plant eighteen inches be 

 tween rows and twelve to eighteen 

 inches apart in the rows, according to 

 variety. When first planted out the 

 small black jumping fly, often called the 

 turnip fly or flea, is very troublesome, 

 eating holes in the leaves. A syringing 

 with a solution of Paris green and ex 

 tract of tobacco will kill the fly. 



Violet growers who do not lift their 

 plants till September can make good use 

 of their benches by devoting them to 

 asters during the summer. If planted 

 end of May they are out of the way 

 during August. We have also thrown 

 out a bed of worn out carnations and 

 filled it up with asters. No fresh soil 

 is needed; in fact the asters grow so 

 rampant under glass when well supplied 

 with water that too rich a soil is detri 

 mental. But out of doors they want a 

 deep, rich soil, and in prolonged dry 

 spells must be copiously watered. Asters 

 should be always within reach of the 

 hose or some means of irrigation. 



Of late years a small beetle has given 

 us much trouble. It is very like the 

 squash beetle if not identical. It punc 

 tures the leaves but is little noticed till 

 the buds begin to show color, when it 

 finds its way into the bud ad chews 

 the tips of the petals, destroying many 



