1882.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



23 



CHINA ASTERS, 



Aster sinensis or Callistephus hortensis, un- 

 der which name it is now known to botanists, 

 stands in the front rank of our choicest annuals. 

 When well grown no other flower can surpass, 

 if equal, its beauty and perfection of form and 

 richness and variety of colors, varying through 

 all imaginable shades from pure white to deep 

 carmine, violet and blue. The original unpre- 

 tending single flower has become transformed 

 under cultivation, into numerous types of 

 form, the most distinctly characterized of 

 which are divided into four principal classes : 



1. The Paony-flowered, having very large, 

 full flowers with long, incurved petals. 



2. Victorias, with beautifully imbricated 

 and very double flowers. 



3. The tasseled or 

 Chrysan th emum-floW 

 ered. 



i. The quilled or 

 globe-flowered. 



The accompanying 

 illustration repro- 

 duced from the cata- 

 logue of Daniels Bros. 

 England, well repre- 

 sents the leading feat- 

 ures of each class. 



Although Asters 

 can be as easily grown 

 as any other garden 

 flower, care and at- 

 tention are necessary 

 to obtain the best re- 

 sults; and it is only 

 through the persever- 

 ing efforts and labors 

 of some earnest culti- 

 vators who have made 

 the improvement oi 

 this lovely flower a 

 specialty, that the 

 new improved varie- 

 ties have been pro- 

 duced. Mr. James 

 Betteridge, who is 

 justly recognized as 

 one of the most suc- 

 cessful Aster growers 

 of the present time, 

 gives in the Field a 

 comprehensive arti- 

 cle, from which _we 

 abstract a few of its 

 directions. 



SOWING THE SEED. 



' ' For several years 

 after I commenced 

 the culture of As- 

 ters," says Mr. Bet- i- Improved Paeony- 

 teridge, "I always sowed the seed in bottom- 

 heat, but during t he last decade t he plan adopted 

 has been to sow in a cold frame under glass, some 

 time between March 26 and April 26, in drills six 

 inches apart, and not too thick in the drills. 

 A few days suffice to bring them above the soil, 

 when a liberal supply of air must be given, or 

 the plants will be weak. When large enough 

 they should be pricked out into another cold 

 frame, slightly shading, where they will soon 

 be established; and after they have attained 

 strength enough to handle well, plant them out 

 into the beds or quarters where they are to 

 bloom, in well manured soil, being careful not 

 to break the tender fibers of the roots. Let 

 the rows be one foot apart, and plant the 

 strongest plants twelve inches from each other; 



this should be done in showery weather, when 

 the plants soon get established. If the weather 

 be hot and drying, a little water will be neces- 

 sary till they are rooted, afterwards keep them 

 clear of weeds by hoeing among the plants. 

 About the first week in August top dress with 

 rotten manure from an old hot-bed, giving a 

 good soaking all over if the weather continues 

 dry. After this, if the blooms arc required 

 for exhibition, the plants must be tied out to 

 small stakes. As soon as it can be determined 

 which buds will produce the best blooms, thin 

 out or disbud, leaving about live or six blooms 

 on each plant. Exhibition blooms should be 

 of large size, full, with high centers, deep, dis- 

 tinct color, and solid petals. To secure these 

 qualifications shading of some kind is neces- 



TYPES OF ASTERS 

 Flowered. 2. Victoria. 3. Chrysthemum-Flowered. 

 sary. For this purpose we have tried many 

 kinds; one of these, and the most useful dur- 

 ing the past stormy season, has been a "tin 

 shade," about twelve inches in diameter, with 

 a spring socket to slide up a stake, one which we 

 formerly used for shading Dahlias. Wire 

 frames covered with linen or other light mate- 

 rial will do as well; all that is required is per- 

 fect security against rain and hail-storms. 



SOIL. 



Asters like a deep, rich soil, and it is only 

 under such conditions that really fine flowers 

 can be obtained, and the plants induced to 

 hold out should diy weather set in. Planted 

 in the ordinary way they are mere weeds com- 

 pared with such as are well fed and can get 

 their roots down deep in search of moisture; 



and when they can do' this the hotter the 

 weather the better it suits them. Confined to 

 the top shallow crust of earth they are soon 

 dried up, and the blooms starved: and this is 

 why we so frequently see the poor puny plants 

 that are found in bordei-s, where, instead of 

 being able to grow and develop themselves, all 

 they can do is to struggle on for existence. 

 The best way to manage them is to dig and 

 cast off the top spit to one side, handy to be 

 returned to its place again; and then trench 

 and break up the soil below, working in with 

 it at the same time plenty of short manure, 

 thoroughly decomposed, which will have the 

 effect of attracting the roots and affording 

 them ample assistance just as they most re- 

 quire it. when expanding and perfecting their 

 bloom. Trenching, 

 as usually done, 

 brings crude earth to 

 the surface, and bur- 

 ies that which has 

 been exposed to the 

 ameliorating influ- 

 ences of the atmos- 

 phere—a fact that 

 should be borne in 

 mind, as it takes 

 years to get it in the 

 condition in which 

 plants will lay hold 

 of it and start away 

 ireely. In very light 

 ioils a few barrow 

 loads of clay, chop- 

 ped up finely and 

 well mixed in, has a 

 capital and lasting 

 effect, and will do 

 more in producing 

 ne Asters than any 

 other help can af- 

 ford. The thing to 

 aim at is to keep the 

 ottom cool and 

 moist, and, this 

 done, all else is clear 

 sailing, as then if the 

 weather be favor- 

 able, the plants will 

 take care of them- 

 selves. When grown 

 in groups of three 

 in a border, similar 

 preparations rh u st 

 lie made, or neigh- 

 boring plants al- 

 ready in possession 

 are sure to rob them 

 and cut short their 

 beauty long before 

 the autumn sets in. and when they should yet 

 be in their full glory. 



POT CULTURE. 



Many have written about the kinds best 

 suited for pots ; tint our practice has been to 

 sow in the open air in May, keeping the varie- 

 ties separate, and then lift about the middle of 

 September (when the buds have partially ex- 

 panded), and putting three plants into an eight- 

 inch pot, pressing the soil firmly, shading for 

 a few days, and then place them in a cold 

 greenhouse, where they will bloom late or 

 through the autumn. Such as these have a 

 splendid effect in a conservatory among the 

 the small kinds of foliage plants, the only 

 other plants, equal in point of color being the 

 Chrysanthemums. 



4. Prize Quilled. 



