143 



classes of asters practically include all those generally 

 grown. These are, first Truffaut's Paeony-flowered Per- 

 fection ; second, Victoria ; and third Pompon. The 

 Pseony flowered and Victoria are large asters, the 

 petals of the former incurving to the centre ; those of 

 the latter outcurving to the edge. Pompon asters have 

 small flowers about the size of a half dollar. The differ- 

 ent classes include the following colors : Pseony-flowered 

 — snow-white, rose, rose and white, dark rose and white, 

 light carmine and white, carmine, crimson, dark crimson 

 and white, purple violet, and violet. Victoria, — white, 

 white tinted with rose, rose and white, carmine rose-* 

 crimson and violet. Pompon, — white, white and carmin e 

 rose, crimson, crimson and white, and violet. These 

 include all the desirable colors of each class. 



SWEET PEAS. 



It may be a very broad statement to say, " That the 

 Sweet Pea is the most desirable annual in cultivation," 

 but I have never met anyone who wished to change the 

 position in which the above statement places this most 

 popular flower. Its delicate fragrance, beautiful form 

 and variety of coloring, makes it a favorite with the 

 florist, while its easy culture and long continuance of 

 blooming, secures for it a place in every flower garden- 

 Sweet Peas must be planted as earl}' in the spring as the 

 ground can be worked. The seed should be sown in 

 drills and covered at least six inches deep. This may be 

 done in two ways. Having prepared the ground and 

 made the drills the desired depth, drop the seed and draw 

 into the drill earth enough to cover the seed two inches 

 deep. As soon as the plants appear through this covering 

 draw in two inches more of earth, and so on until the 

 drill is filled even with the surface of the ground, or the 

 seed may be dropped and covered in the usual manner. 

 The surface of the ground sometimes becomes hard just 

 as the young plants are about to appear, especially after a 



