CHINA ASTERS 



43 



flowers upon long stems, while the Dwarf Comets are but 

 half as highj with the flowers on shorter stems. A rather 

 new form of the China Comet is the single-flowered one, in 

 which the ray petals are long and slender. New varieties 

 of these Comet types are 

 continually being added 

 to the florists' lists. 



Aster types are not so 

 clearly defined and wide- 

 ly recognized by standard 

 names as are the leading 

 dahlia forms, so the 

 names and descriptions 

 of asters in the seed cat- 

 alogues may puzzle you. 

 For this reason your note- 

 book sketches and de- 

 scriptions of the best 

 illustrations of each 

 standard type grown in 

 your community, accom- 

 panied by records of the trade names of the seeds sown, 

 will enable you to order just the sorts you prefer another 

 spring. 



While studying the aster, plan to preserve seeds of the best 

 varieties of each type. The best seed is home grown, be- 

 cause freshest, and taken with such care in selection as is 

 hardly possible commercially. When cutting flowers for 

 the house, leave the earliest and best blossoms to mature. 

 When the seeds are ripe, the flower heads should be cut and 

 dried; then the seed should be separated, cleaned, and placed 



Dwarf Comet Asters. 



