THE MICHAELMAS DAISY. 27 



fine shrubbery plants, aiid some of the smaller unattractive 

 kinds are worth growing- to -cut from, for their clusters of 

 little stars are often useful for decorative purposes, though 

 as seen in the garden they may be inconspicuous and of 

 small account. 



The safest rule of classification appears to be found in 

 the relative heights of the plants. Beginning with the 

 smallest, we have a charming thing in Aster alpinas, the 

 blue daisy of the Alps, a plant which in gardens grows 

 to a height of six inches, producing large blue flowers, 

 but in the mountain pastures is too short to rise above 

 the tine grass, amidst which its flowers appear like large 

 blue daisies. 



" Star of the mead ! sweet daughter of the day, 

 Whose opening flower invites the morning ray, 

 From thy moist cheek, and bosom's chilly fold, 

 To kiss the tear of eve, the dewdrops cold.' 1 



Other useful dwarf kinds are A. attaicus, with rosy 

 purple flowers; A. patens, purplish-blue; A. sericeus, 

 deep blue; A. versicolor, white changing to pale purple; 

 A. diunosm, pale lilac-blue. 



Another series adapted for second and third rows are 

 the following : A. amellus, flowers blue with yellow disc, 

 one of the best; A. dracunculoides, purplish-blue, fine; 

 A. fragilis, flowers white, changing to rose or purple; 

 A. Itevis, purple with yellow centre, useful and good ; 

 A. laxus, pale blue, fine; A. pendulus, white, changing to 

 rose ; A. pyrentens, lilac-blue with yellow disc ; A. tur- 

 binellus, delicate mauve, a handsome plant. In this 

 section occur the most generally useful kinds. 



Amongst the taller sorts suitable for planting amongst 

 shrubs and in the reserve garden the best are A. cordifolins, 



