110 



CANADTAN TTORTICULTURIST. 



usefulness. Tlie Aster includes several 

 divisions, German catalogues repre- 

 senting as many as twenty-five dis 

 tinct types, but the most striking of 

 them are the flat petalled reflexed 

 blooms as represented by the Victorias ; 

 the incurved varieties as found in tlie 

 Paeony-flowered section ; the quilled 

 forms as found in the globe-floM^ered 

 strain ;and the dwarf or minature forms, 

 comprised in the bouquet classes, which 

 are more effective as edgings to beds 

 than the taller variety. As a half- 



Paeony-flowered Aster, either in collec- 

 tion form as they are originally sent 

 out from Europe, or the mixture of 

 same, as the most satisfactory for the 

 amateur to grow. It is well to pinch 

 out the centre buds in all plants as 

 soon as developed (they are generally 

 semi-double) and also to thin the re- 

 maining ones down to about four or 

 five for each plant, and in consequence 

 these will be perfect blooms. If the 

 plants have been placed in a separate 

 bed, and they show a tendency to begin 



Fio. 44.— Victoria Astkr. 



hardy annual, seed should properly be 

 sown in a hotbed in the month of April, 

 and when large enough they should 1:16 

 pricked out into a cool frame, and 

 planted in the open air about first of 

 June, with nice balls of soil, and be 

 placed in beds as required. For an 

 ordinary flower-bed the soil should be 

 dug deeply, and receive a good dressing 

 of manure ; into this the plant should 

 be placed about one foot apart each 

 way, and by the end of August a mass 

 of brilliant flowers is sure to follow. I 

 would strongly recommend Truffault's 



flowering about the middle of August, 

 a thin shading may be erected over the 

 bed, in consequence of which they will 

 retain their beauty until the frost 

 comes. I have seen this tried by 

 lovers of the Aster, and can strongly 

 recommend it to those wishing to keep 

 them flowering for an extended period. 

 Seed should not be saved from the 

 plants and grown on the same soil the 

 following season. In order to obtain 

 large and perfect flowers each season, 

 seed should always be changed — in 

 Asters moi-e particulary so. 



