266 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



Fig. 98. BALL'S IMPROVED ASTER. A handsome plant is this remarkable Aster 

 which resembles, more than anything else, a well-grown Chrysanthemum. Being 

 of the late branching variety, it is especially valuable as a cut flower, its long stems 

 supporting the large double flowers perfectly. It is indeed an American Aster of 



great merit 



age to have your flowers coming along either long before or long 

 after, so it will pay you to make the first sowing early in 

 March under glass. Queen of the Market is still considered one of 

 the best of the early ones, the same as it was in 1889 when I got my 

 first package of seed of the variety from the introducers, Vilmorin 

 and Andre ux of Paris, France. 



There is this to be said about these early ones : Stunt the plants 

 once and you might as well throw them out. If you want large flowers 

 on fair-sized stems, keep the plants going at all times. You can sow 

 Queen of the Market in a flat; if allowed to remain in a flat after 

 being transplanted once the plants will flower right there. How- 

 ever, keep them shifted and in a 48-deg. house, then plant in a frame 

 with glass protection until danger from frost is over, and you most 

 likely will have plants in flower by the middle or end of June. Early 

 Wonder is another good sort, and as a second early the Improved or 



