114 ASTER 



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

 ple. The modern ivnlntii.n of the plant is in the direc- 

 tion of habit, and t"nn m1 il.iw.r. Some type varies- 

 generally rather Mid.lrnlx :,imI without apparent cause— 

 into some novt-l l^'im, -Mil iir;iining its accustomed 

 color. The florist Hms th.- vaiKition by breeding from 

 the best and most stable plants, and soon other colors 

 appear, until he finally obtains the entire range of color 

 in the species. So it happens that there are various 

 well marked races or types, each of which has its full 

 and independent range of cohir^. Th- ' "im t i-, pr , ^ iih 

 very flat rays), now one '■( iln m . . i 



China Asters, illustrates I h.-r -: . i ' : 



The Comet fonn-thelo.isr. ..]i.ri r. . t i i.i_. iij 



coming from Vilmorin. of I'm i-. umI iIm ( hiua Aster had 

 reached its greatest artistic ]•' itv.n-n. 



It is impossible to con^t^^^t a ^ati-lactory classifica- 

 tion of the China Asters, it is no longer practicable to 

 classify the varieties by color. Neither is it feasible to 

 classify them upon habit or stature of plant, for several 

 of the best marked types run into both tall and dwarf 

 forms. Vilmorin, however, still divides the varieties 

 into two groups, the pyramidal growers, and the non- 

 pyramidal growers. The most elaborate classification 

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

 sive tests made at Chiswick, Eng. Barron has 17 sec- 

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

 little more than an enumeration of the various types 



florets open. 

 B. Incurved or ball-shaped. 

 BB. Spreading or reflexed. 

 A. Tubular or quiUed Asters, in which all. or all but the 2 or 3 

 outer rows of florets, have prominently tubular corollas. 

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

 sented by the German Quilled. 

 BB. AU the florets elongated and quilled. 

 In ISO.T. 2.10 varieties of Asters were offered by Amer. 

 "T'l-rn'Ti. pi.r arrowing in borders, perhaps the best 



.•client 



aisoasr-eriec- -^.jk-. ■" C J^.SKi ' fc. » ^i^^^ 



ony -flowered ; '*^., .W-^^l^li,, "^ 



lum-flowered: ^.^)|,x:^ %^Mjik 



; V i c t o r i a , i^ VTW/ . V rJ ' VtF 



I Queen of the "^ J ^»^.Ur •/^■ 





i:.„i>-;^ 



(\ 1 ■k-l;rali-l.:n-isshown W^. 



in Fig. KmJ, Truffaut (Fig. ^"^ 

 KiG), known also as Perfec- i,jS. -^ 

 lion and Peony -flowered ; '^.. 

 Chrysanthemum 

 Washington 

 Mignon; and 

 Market. The last is 

 mended for earliness and 

 graceful, open habit, and 

 it is one of the best for 

 cut-flowers. Many other 

 types are valuable for spe- 

 cial purposes. The Crown 

 or Cocardeau is odd and 

 attractive. Amongst the 

 quilled Asters, the various 

 strains of German Quilled 

 (Pig. 167), Victoria Needle 

 (Fig. 1(58), and Lilliput are 

 e-icellent. The verv dwarf 

 tufti.l A-firs an- well 

 r H ' irfBou- 



L-.L. . . ],., early 



started under glass ; but 

 good fall bloom may be 

 had, even in the North, by 

 -ii«ing seeds in the open 

 I- late as the Isf of June 



J'' 





or classes. After considerable study of the varieties 

 in the field and herbarium, the following scheme seems 

 to be serviceable : 



Asters make very showy 

 dding plants when grown in large masses, and are 

 il.so valuable for filling up vacancies in the mixed 

 hirbaceous border, where they ought to be planted in 

 ■ iiimps, the dwarfer kinds put in front and the taller 



There are two or three insects which prey upon the 

 I'liina Aster, but they do not appear to be widespread. 

 The most serious difliculty with them is the rust , a fungus 

 I I'oko.iporiumSonchi-arvensis} which attacks the under 

 -ide of the leaf and raises an orange-colored pustule. 

 Timely sprays with the copper fungicides will keep this 

 ilisorder in check. The Bordeaux mixture discolors the 

 plants, and it is, therefore, better to use the ammoniacal 

 carbonate of copper. Spray it upon the plants before the 

 fungus appears, and repeat every week or ten days. Use 

 a cyclone nozzle and spray upwards, so as to strike the 

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



In recent } ears, 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 

 ^ize, 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-flo\\er. As to culture, it does not seem to 

 be generally understood, even by florists, that 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. Plants have been mined by be- 

 ing planted near squashes. The late brood of striped 

 beetles fed on the Aster flowers. 



George Arnold, Jr. 



