AND CONSEETATOET. 73 



Asters require a moderately rich soil to do them justice. 

 The compost in which they will succeed best when in pots is 

 turfy loam and decayed manure from an old hotbed, prepared 

 by mixing three parts of the former to one of the latter. Five- 

 or six-inch pots are very suitable sizes in which to grow them, 

 and two or three plants should be put in each ; a few may be 

 potted in eight-inch pots : put three plants in a pot for 

 special purposes. 



In preparing the pots place three or four moderate-sized 

 crocks in the bottom : then fill with prepared soil, and prick 

 out the plants at equal distances apart round the outside. Each 

 pot should be filled with plants that will produce flowers of 

 the same colour, otherwise the eflect will be far from satisfac- 

 tory when they are in bloom. After they are all pricked off", 

 plunge them in a bed of leaf mould, or partly decayed manure 

 in the borders. In either case the pots must stand upon a 

 hard bottom to prevent the worms getting into the pots. "When 

 leaf mould or manure is used it is a good plan first of all to 

 make up a bed of coal ashes, and then only put sufiicient ma- 

 terial to reach to the rim of the pots when they stand upon 

 the ashes. AVhen plunged in the border a pot must be placed 

 in an inverted position in the bottom of the hole to stand the 

 other upon, and they must not be crowded. 



P.S:0NX-rL0WEEED GLOBE ASTEE. 



