190 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



How to Grow China Asters for 

 a Prize Competition 



THE following instructions were given 

 to competitors in the R. B. Whyte 

 aster growing competition, for school 

 children, at Ottawa in 1903. 



PREPARING THE SOIL 



Dig the ground as deep as the spade will 

 go. If the soil is at all hard or lumpy turn 

 it over two or three times, breaking all lumps 

 each time. • If the soil is not very good, 

 the last time of digging spread well rotted 

 stable manure two or three inches thick over 

 the bed and dig it in, covering it well with 

 earth so that it will not touch the seeds; then 

 rake the surface as smooth and fine as possible. 

 It is very important that the earth should be 

 as fine and smooth as you can make it. 



PLANTING THE SEED 



When ready to plant, make a straight line 

 with a pointed stick using a long board or a 

 string as a guide; a board is best as you can 

 stand on it when working. Press hard 

 enough with the stick to make a trench about 

 Tialf an inch deep, drop the seeds, one at a 

 time, about one and a half inches apart. 

 When the row is full cover the seeds with 

 Tialf an inch of earth; then pat the surface 

 firmly with the back of the spade or hoe to 

 "bring the earth into close contact with the 

 seed. Make the rows twelve inches apart. 



WEEDING AND CARE 



It is well to put a stick at each end of the 

 tows to show where the seeds have been 

 planted. If the rows are not marked you 

 might pull up the aster plants along with the 

 weeds when they are small. As soon as the 

 plants are visible, pull out all weeds; after 

 the first weeding rake between the rows 

 with a small sharp rake twice a week, and no 

 more weeds will grow; they will all be killed 

 Tjefore they appear above the surface. 



If the weather should be very dry, it will 

 Tse well to water the beds once a week, putting 

 on enough water to wet the earth at least one 

 inch deep each time, but do not water unless 

 it is really necessary. 



TRANSPLANTING 



As soon as the plants are three or four 

 inches high they should be transplanted as 

 they are too close together to flower in the 

 seed bed. The best tool to take them up 

 with is a garden trowel, but a tablespoon will 

 do very well. One plant to a foot of row may 

 be left in the seed bed to flower there, all the 

 Test must be taken up, one at a time, with 

 all the earth that will stick to the roots and 



planted in another bed of the same kind, 

 or wherever there is room for a few plants, 

 always being careful that there is at least 

 twelve inches between each plant. Make 

 the holes big enough to take in the ball of 

 earth and deep enough to allow of the plant 

 being half an inch deeper in the ground than 

 it was in the seed bed, cover with fine soil to 

 the level of the bed and press gently about 

 the roots; not too hard, or you might break 

 the delicate roots. Always transplant after 

 sundown and after rain if possible. If it 

 must be done in the morning put a teacupful 

 of water in each hole and shade from the 

 sun for a day or two. 



FROM TRANSPLANTING TILL FLOWERING 



All that is necessary to do after transplant- 

 ing is to keep down the weeds, and keep the 



surface soil open and porous by frequent 

 raking — at least twice a week — rake very 

 lightly near the plants so as not to disturb 

 the roots. In a very dry season water the 

 plants from time to time, giving a large cup- 

 ful to each one, and rake afterwards. 



PREPARING FOR EXHIBITION 



When cutting the flowers for the Exhibi- 

 tion, cut with as long stems as possible, 

 with all the leaves on, unless they are dam- 

 aged. All torn leaves should be cut off. 



Show the six white flowers in one vase; 

 in the other entries the three colors must be 

 in three separate vases or bottles. Water 

 for the flowers can be got at the Exhibition 

 Hall. All the flowers must be brought to 

 the hall between 4:30 and 6 o'clock on the 

 day of exhibition. 



268. The china aster is one of the best hardy plants for cut flowers and for planting in the garden 

 Transplant from seed beds for summer flowers. Seeds sown in the open border in May give strong plants 

 later in the season. Try wood-ashes to overcome the root aphis which often attacKs the aster 



