APPENDIX. 347 



as well as to make some corrections and amendments to what has 

 been already written. 



ABRONIA. 



Abronia umbellata. A beautiful and newly introduced 

 annual, with long trailing stems, bearing clusters of elegant flow- 

 ers in dense umbels; color, delicate lilac, with white centre, 

 highly and deliciously fragrant. 



The seeds are enclosed in a husky covering, and look very 

 unpromising, but they vegetate freely. They may be sown as 

 early as the ground is ready to receive seed of any kind in the 

 spring. It appears to be quite hardy, and easily cultivated, and 

 has the advantage of sowing itself, as there will be found an 

 abundance of young plants on the ground in the spring, where the 

 plants of the last year were grown. The foliage is light green, 

 of a long oval shape ; the stem rather succulent or fleshy, lying 

 prostrate on the ground, two or three feet in length. It is very 

 pretty when trained to neat sticks, or when left to its natural 

 mode of growth. Being ever in bloom, enduring light frosts, 

 beautiful and sweet, it will, w^e think, become a great favorite. 

 This plant does not agree with 'the one described by Loudon as 

 Abronia umbellata, introduced from California in 1823. 



ASTER. 



Aster Chinensis. China Aster. This old garden flower has 

 been very much improved within a few years. There are florists 

 in Europe, whose only business consists in improving and classi- 

 fying Asters for the seed, and upon whom seedsmen in all parts 

 of the world depend for their choice varieties. Seeds from these 

 establishments are now received at the Seed Store of Joseph 

 Breck & Son, in Boston, and at other places in the country, and 

 sold in the following classes : 



1st. New French Peony-flowered Aster. This superb class is 

 sold in packages of ten varieties. The flowers are very full and 

 double, nearly as large as a medium sized Dahlia, and much hand- 



