HEMRTADRER -PHILADELPHIA ^A' ^^ RELIABLE FLOWERSEEDS 



67 



Dreer's Famous American Asters 



Asters are one of the most important summer and autumn flowers, and receive special care at our hands. Yearly exhaustive tests 

 are made with a view to offering only the choicest kinds, regardless of cost. As a result of tills care our list comprises only such 

 sorts as can be planted with perfect confidence that nothing better is procurable, no matter at what price or from what source. 



The varieties offered on this and the following three pages represent the finest Asters introduced to date, and -are all firmly estab- 

 lished favorites with the most critical growers of this popular flower, and should be in every garden where high quality is appre- 

 ciated. 



The early sorts, such as Queen of the Market, Lavender Gem and Royal, begin blooming in July, followed by the mid-season 

 varieties, which are usually at their best during August, and which include such splendid sorts as Pink Beauty,' Mikado, Ostrich 

 Feather, and the Improved American Victorias. Then come the late-flowering kinds, which bloom from the end of August on 

 through September into October. This class furnishes the finest flowers of all and is well represented in our list by our Superb Late 

 Branching in eight beautiful colors, our Peerless Pink, the finest Pink Aster grown, Crego's Giant, Crimson Giant, Violet King and 

 a number of other fine sorts. It is quite easy, therefore, with a little care in the selection of the varieties, to have Asters in bloom 

 from the first days in July until hard frost. 



A Few Cultural Hints on the Growing of Asters 



Asters will thrive in any good soil, prepared in the same way as you would for a crop of vegetables, but it is well to remember 

 that any extra care taken in the preparation of the soil is repaid by finer plants, larger blooms with longer stems and more profuse 

 flowering. They should have an open, sunny position, and prefer a good, heavy, loamy soil, enriched with a liberal quantity of 1 one 

 meal or other good commercial fertilizer; and the addition of wood ashes or air-slaked lime, and we do not advise growing them on 

 the same ground year after year; it is better to change each season. 



For early flowering the seed should be started in the house, hotbed or cold-frame in April, transferring them to their flowering 

 quarters as soon as danger from frost is past. For August and later flowering it is just as well to sow them in the open in May, 

 preferably in a prepared seed bed, transplanting them when two or three inches high to where they are to bloom, although they may 

 be sown where they are to flower with almost as good results. 



The main essentials to insure fine Asters are a rich soil, frequent cultivation, no check to their growth from start to finish and 

 ample room to develop. When wanted for cutting with long stems, they should be set out not closer than twelve inches apart in the 

 rows and two feet between the rows. When wanted for mass effects in beds they may be planted nine inches to a foot apart each 

 way. 



Asters are sometimes attacked by an aphis at their roots; also by stem rot, a fungous disease, which causes the stem to decay just 

 at the point where it emerges from the ground. Both of these troubles are rarely met with if the plants are grown on good soil and 

 are not checked in their growth. The addition of wood ashes or air-slaked lime at the time of the preparation of the bed also 

 helps to prevent these troubles. 



The Aster or Black Beetle, which devours the flowers, can only be destroyed by hand-picking or by knocking them into a basin. 

 or receptacle in which there is some water and kerosene oil. As a rule, these beetles come in August, and by growing only the early 

 and the late-flowering kinds can be avoided. 



/r ^v A ASTERMUM ASTEES. 



-^ i^">*J_l<i V\ ^ strain of Comet Asters which, on account of their size and 



■%;. ¥ y> , \ Chrysanthemum-like appearance, have appropriately been named 



-^^t^^ '. LeW""* 1 Astermums. The plants grow about 2 feet high, rnd come into 



| Br \*f':-\ ■'■ O b' oorn a little earlier than the Crego's Giant. We offer three fine 



Hp^ ■ . - > ~~> colors, as under: 



K*^ Wk 1-61 Lavender. A rich shade of lavender cr light 



^p^ ' Vv '%iv<. BHBM^^-~^--^ 1262 I'ink. A very attractive shade of lively rose 



*" ^- ill ' . W^*tf ' ^?!kf 1263 White. Purest snow-white. 



X. ^^*"fPB^Bi»^«^%^ *' /' Price. 15 cts. pel pkt.; a ) acket of each color for 



. &Bv£gm ^** "^ .-*"" 35cK 



^j3w% -«™»^ 1 CHINA ASTERS. 



, y v 3 *'•. - —-•>— " T 1340 (ieneral Mixture. This mixture was saved 



vjC. ' ^ . ,5fS5s »»««o«^ 1 from the many sorts and colors grown on our 



j i^B kM^ VX v Jj.' "tr ^^^^^to^Bt^* ; '""■ "" tr ' a ' grounds the past season. 5 cts. per pkt.; J 



J •*■ \^ m " So*""*'' Tt\.- J^f' " " ^ *"*■-' oz., 25 cts. 



Crego's Giant Comet Asters. 



H^ \ ~— — ~-^ We consider this the finest and largest of all Comet 



:$?• » VaS W. Vstei , b aring immense fluffy flowers five inches and 



'Jl'Sk \ \vv ^ over m diameter, as fine as any Chrysanthemum, and 



"% iH^^ ^ when cut keep in good condition longer than any other 



v / of this lype. We offer five colors, viz.; 



S i' | PER PKT. 



> ' > 1281 White. Pure white 15 



• i& " > %&'' 1282 Pink. Delicate shell-pink 15 



Mut> ■■ A- : -~ ''^^Bm^^tesM 1283 Purple. Bright purple L5 



l^fc^ 3M9CJI _ [284 Rose. Rich deep rose ... 15 



1285 Lavender. Deep lavender 15 



1288 Collection of a packet each of the 5 colors, 60 cts. 



1290 Crego's nixed. All colors. 15 cts. pkt.; 2 pkts., 25 cts. 



ASTERMUM 



Asters are continued on pages 68 to 70. See also Specialties, pages 53 to 62 



