22 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



two sowings will provide for a long season of bloom, and 

 early and severe thinning will result in sturdy, branching 

 plants that will give fine flowers in abundance. 



CALLISTEPHUS 



" China Aster" 



Botanists will tell us that the true Asters are perennial plants 

 familiarly known as Michaelmas Daisies, and the Annuals popu- 

 larly known by the general title of Asters {Composiia) are really 

 garden-raised varieties of the Chinese species Callistephus hor- 

 tensis (syn. C. chifiensis, C. sinensis, and Callistemma hortensis). 

 Because the wild plant is a native of China, the whole family of 

 garden varieties comes under the general title of China Asters, 

 and so, because the French and German florists have developed 

 the flower and produced a considerable number of races, 

 alternative titles are German Asters and French Asters. 



Almost all colours except bright scarlet, vermilion, and 

 yellow are represented in these showy and exceedingly 

 useful flowers, but there are bright red shades that pass as 

 scarlet, and a deep cream shade also passes for yellow in 

 catalogue descriptions. Asters vary in height from about 

 8 inches in the Dwarf Bouquet section, up to 3 feet 

 in the French Giant, Mammoth, and American Branching 

 strains. 



In the matter of form there is a wide and pleasing varia- 

 tion : Paeony - flowered varieties have incurving florets. 

 Comet Asters have broad florets but are of elegant form 

 and fine habit. Victoria Asters have very double, solid 

 blooms, the florets imbricating regularly in the best strains. 

 Ostrich Plume varieties are exquisitely beautiful, and their 

 large, elegant blooms vie with the Japanese Chrysanthemums 

 for size and usefulness. Quilled Asters have tubular florets 



