ioo The Flower Garden [Chapter 



cult to declare any one variety the finest, but for cut 

 flowers and corsage wear nothing can excel the 

 Chrysanthemum Flowered in white and pink. 



The lasting quality of the flowers when cut is quite 

 phenomenal. I have known them to keep fresh and 

 sightly in water for a month, until the stems had en- 

 tirely rotted away, leaving the flower uninjured. In 

 arranging them for vases remove all leaves below 

 the top of the vase, leaving clean stems, which should 

 be thoroughly cleansed daily, and the ends clipped. 

 A teaspoonful of charcoal added to the water in the 

 vase will keep it sweet and retard decay. 



Early planting of Asters is to be strongly recom- 

 mended, as the early plants are not subject to the 

 dreaded Aster disease or to attacks of the black beetle, 

 which often destroy all the flowers of a late bed in 

 a single day. 



A teaspoonful of Paris green in the watering-pot, 

 sprinkled on at night or very early in the morning, 

 will usually rid the plants of their unwelcome guests, 

 or they may be brushed off into a pan of water con- 

 taining a small quantity of kerosene which is fatal 

 to them. They are sluggish, especially in the early 

 morning, dropping to the ground when touched, and 

 easily killed. The point is to take them in time, and 

 the appearance of the first beetle should be the signal 

 for active operations. 



For early flowers the seed may be planted in the 

 hotbed, flats, or cold-frame in March or April, cov- 



