114 



ASTER 



of the cyanic series— shades of blue, red, pink and pur- 

 ple. The modern evolution of the plant is in the direc- 

 tion of habit, and form of flower. Some type varies— 

 generally rather suddenly and without apparent cause— 

 into some novel form, still retaining its accustomed 

 color. The florist fixes the variation by breeding from 

 the best and most stable pl-mt.;. :in.l <c,„n otln-r colors 

 appear, until he finally olii.nn- i In . min mnL. "i ..ilor 



in the species. So it li^i ' ■ nious 



well marked races or ty]H ■ - tiill 



and independent range of .-I r I i ,. . w nh 



ASTER 

 .. Flat-raved Asters, ; 



florets open. 

 B. Incurved or ballshiiped. 

 BB. Spreading or reriext-ii. 

 .. Tubular or quiUed A-trrs. in ivhi.-li all, or all but the2or3 

 outer rows of florets, luive prominently tubular corollas. 

 B. Inner florets short, outer ones longer and flat. Repre- 

 sented by the German Quilled. 

 BB. All the florets elong.ated and quilled. 

 In 1893, 250 varieties of Asters were offered by Amer. 

 e<lsnuii. Fur t,'rowinj< in borders, perhaps the best 



with a flower ' 

 pink tended to 

 the color an u 

 next appeared, 



cla 



ifv the ^ 



IMignon; and Queen of the 

 Market. The last is com- 

 mended for earliness and 

 graceful, open habit, and 



classify them upon liiiliit (.1- Nt^iiiin .. |; ri.i . .: i 

 of the best marke.i t\ ih-< ]'iin ihim i . ^ . ■ ,i 



forms. Vilmoriu. lio\\<-\-.r, still ilrni— iii. .mii!. - 

 into two groups, the pyramidal gi-owers, and the non- 

 pyramidal growers. The most elaborate classiticatiou 

 is that proposed by Barron, from a study of exten- 

 sive tests made at Chiswick, Eng. Barron has li sec- 

 tions, but they are not coordinate, and they are really 

 little more than an enumeration of the various types 



j4 *#,. 



other 



'III I'll ("i-.s. riie Crown 

 oi ( .„ .ti.leau i.s odd and 

 attractive. Amongst the 

 quilled Asters, the various 

 strains of German Quilled 

 (Fig. 167), Victoria Needle 

 (Fig. 108), and Lilliput are 

 excellent. The verv dwarf 

 tufted Asters are well 

 repnsente.lin Dwarf Bou- 



.'sli.i^ . ■■ . ', ■ ilieseare 



IM- II iriy good 



gill 'I'll -'III- I or early 

 blo'.iii. ^.e.l.s may be 

 started under glass ; but 

 good fall bloom may be 

 had. even in the North, by 

 sowing seeds in the open 

 as late as the 1st of Jime 





i-aluable for 



Truffaufs Peony-flowered. 



Asters make very showy 

 grown in large masses, and are 



\^ 



China Aster— The branching type. 



or classes. After considerable study of the varieties 

 in the field and herbarium, the following scheme seems 



to be serviceable : 



e^i' ii ; I ' I'. Spray it upon the plants before the 



Inn II i;'|. N 1 11(1 repeat every week or ten days. I'so 

 a iM i 'II' II", .1' :inil spray upwards, so as to strike the 

 under sides of the leaves. L. H. B. 



In recent years, the Branching Asters have come to be 

 prominent, and they are bound to increase in popularity 

 as their merits become known. The long stem, large 

 size, and soft shades of pink and lavender have made 

 this the most useful to the florist of all the Asters. 

 The Comet has been rather short-stemmed for a com- 

 mercial cut-flower. As to culture, it does not seem to 

 be generally understood, even by florists, th.at the young 

 Aster plants will stand more frost than cabbage. If 

 started under glass about the middle of February, in 

 New York state, they will be ready to plant out the 

 latter part of April or first of May. They will then come 

 in at about the same time they would if grown entirely 

 under glass, although not so long-stemmed. For fall 

 flowers, we sow out-of-doors with seed drill and culti- 

 vate with wheel hoe. I have had plants ruined by being 

 planted near squashes. The late brood of striped 

 beetles fed on the Aster flowers. 



Geokge Arnold, Jb. 



