CULTURE OF THE ASTER. 



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works which treat of the culture of the aster advise only to take the seeds 

 from the circumference of the flower, (a good precaution, for these seeds, 

 in most asters, are the largest and best ; it is true, in the paeony-flowered 

 aster, it makes but little difference) ; or to prefer those from the smaller 

 cells, or those which ripen latest, (mere nonsense). 



These remarks are of no importance in relation to the paeony-flowered 

 aster. In gathering the seed, it is best to leave the long floral leaves 

 adhering to it, and to choose a time when the sun has warmed the 

 air and dissipated the dew. When I cut the flower stalks, I tie them in 

 small bundles, each variety by itself, and marked with a tally. These 

 bundles are then suspended in a dry, well-aired place, in order that the 

 heads may dry. 



6. Diseases and Hurtful Insects. 



The aster is subject to a disease, the first symptoms of which appear in 

 the leaves. When this change appears, the leaves roll themselves up, fade 

 and dry up, and the plant dies, even though it may have good roots. I have 

 tried to discover the cause of this disease, which happily is accidental ; but 

 all the observations which I have made have failed to show me the cause. 



The chancre is a disease which attacks the stems at the level of the 

 ground. One scarcely knows it till the aster dies suddenly. Then the 

 stem presents a yellow and livid color. Ordinarily this disease, so disas- 

 trous, does not show itself till the flowering season. 



The wood lice are very injurious, and they commit considerable ravages 

 on the young plants. There is a simple way to destroy, every day, a great 

 number; it is this — cut large potatoes into two parts, and hollow them out; 

 when thus prepared, place them near the young plants, taking care to invert 

 them so they may form small bells, (when the insects find the fresh place 

 they will take refuge in the hollow) ; then the evening and the morning are 

 the times to examine, with care, each of the pieces of potato, and thus a 

 great number can be easily destroyed. 



These insects are not alone hurtful ; the slugs commit great ravages, and 

 should be searched for with care and destroyed. This should be done in 

 the morning, evening, or after a rain. 



Then there is the black spider, which, during the day, keeps at the sur- 

 face of the earth ; it is principally by night it commits its ravages. 



All horticulturists know the gray (red) spider. This insect particularly 

 attacks asters, and to check its ravages one must water frequently ; moist- 

 ure is fatal to this spider, arrests its ravages, and favors the growth of the 

 plants. 



The plant louse is an insect which does the most damage to asters. It 

 increases greatly by families, and attaches itself to the end of the flower 

 shoot, which it causes to curl up ; when it is abundant, it arrests the gro\vth 

 of the branches and buds, from which it sucks the sap, living among the 

 scales of the calyx. They can easily be destroyed by throwing, in dry 

 weather, a strong decoction of tobacco water or smoke upon the infected 

 parts of the plant. 



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