52 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



are very valuable for late fall and it is then that they look the best. 

 There are many fine varieties and the dwarf kinds are very compact 

 and showy for beds. Tagetes signata pumila is well worth growing 

 on account of its dwarf habit; it does not attain more than one 

 foot and is completely covered with small yellow flowers. 



We must not forget mignonette; no garden should be without 

 this old-fashioned fragrant plant. The seed may be sown early 

 in spring and later another sowing may be made for succession. 

 Almost any kind is good but we prefer the variety Machet because 

 it is a good grower, has large flowers, and is very fragrant. 



For low growth and brilliancy of color we have nothing better 

 than Portulaca. It is excellent for beds or edgings. It is one of 

 the easiest plants to grow but its seed must not be sown too early; 

 when the soil gets warm late in May being early enough. There 

 is a large range of colors, and double forms are also obtainable, 

 but the single-flowering kinds are most pleasing. 



For large, imposing, flowering annual plants we have nothing 

 better than the sunflowers. There are several species which are 

 not grown as widely as they ought to be. The silver-leaved sun- 

 flower, Helianthus argophi/Uus, grows four or five feet high and 

 has handsome, silvery foliage with beautiful single flowers. The 

 cucumber-leaved sunflower, Helianihus cucmnerifolius, is the 

 handsomest of all the annual sunflowers. It has very compact 

 growth and produces an immense number of single, bright orange 

 flowers. Its varieties Stella and Orion are very decorative ard 

 their flowers are good for cutting. 



The China asters, Callistephus hortensis, are amongst the most 

 common of annuals. They are of the easiest culture and can be 

 had in a large number of forms and colors. The history of the 

 evolution of this plant is very similar to that of the chrysanthemum. 

 When it was introduced it was a single flower and it is pleasing 

 that there is a growing fondness for single-flowered forms again. 

 They are subject to several diseases. Those diseases that attack 

 the roots are avoided if the plants are not grown on the same piece 

 of ground two years in succession. The fungous diseases which 

 attack the leaves can be held in check by spraying with some of 

 the copper fungicides. Spraying the plants should begin before 

 the disease appears and should be repeated about every ten days. 



