ASTER, Nat. Ord. Compositce. 
The Aster was popular when we had our little garden nearly half a century ago. We used 
to call it then China Aster, but those children who wished to be very nice would say Reine 
Marguerite, and would often get laughed at for preferring so hard a name, just because it was 
French. The Aster was sent to France from China by a Missionary, 
and the English name means China Star, while the French is Queen 
Daisy. Is was then a single, showy flower, bearing not much more 
resemblance to the Aster of to-day than the Mayweed does to the 
Dahlia, However, we thought it very pretty, and it afforded us a 
great deal of pleasure. We never see a poor single flower come up 
among the good ones, and we occasionally find such, but we are 
reminded of early days and childish friendships. We thought an 
engraving showing the character of the Aster as it was when imported 
might be interesting to our readers, and therefore give a small sketch. 
The Aster now is a general favorite, and its popularity is on the 
increase. For an Autumn show of flowers, we were about to say, we have not its equal, but we 
are reminded that when we get enthusiastic over any of our special favorites, we are ready to say 
the same thing about a good many. Perhaps we can safely say that for an autumn display it has 
no successful rival among the Annuals. Give the Aster a deep, rich soil, and mulching with 
coarse manure is very beneficial, and if extra fine flowers are needed for exhibition or any other 
purpose, a little liquid manure occasionally will give the most gratifying results. Plants may be 
grown in the hot-bed, cold-frame, or a seed-bed in the garden, but to obtain good flowers the 
Aster plant must be strong and " stocky." A plant that is what garden- 
ers call " drawn" will never produce very fine flowers. A " drawn" 
plant is one that, by being crowded in the seed-bed, or some other 
cause, has become tall, slender and weak. The Aster transplants easily. 
Twelve inches apart is the proper distance for making a showy bed of the 
large varieties ; the dwarf kinds may be set six inches or less. It is not 
best to have Asters flower too early in the season, and there need be no 
haste in starting seed in the spring, for the Aster, like the Dahlia, is 
essentially a Fall flower, and the flowers are always the largest and most 
perfect and enduring in the showery weather and cool, dewy nights of 
Autumn. The tall varieties with large flowers need a little support, or 
during storms of wind and rain they are often blown down and their 
beauty destroyed when in full blossom. Set a stake in the ground near 
the main stem, so that its top is only about two-thirds the height of the plant. Then fasten the 
main branches to this stake, not in the way too common, which is merely to pass a string around 
the whole plant, stake and all, thus injuring both foliage and flowers. The proper way is to 
attach several strings to the stake, so that they will not slip down, then pass each one around two 
or so of the main branches in a kind of loop or sling, so that the plant will retain its natural 
position, and may be swayed by the wind without receiving the least injury. We have endeavored 
to show how this is done in the accompanying engraving. Asters are so very dissimilar in habit, 
ranging from the little dwarf, scarcely six inches in height, to the stately plant of 
more than three feet, and bearing flowers almost as large as a Pseony, that a few 
words seem necessary to prevent persons purchasing what they do not desire. 
The smallest of the family is the little Dwarf Bouquet, represented in the engrav- 
ing, fig. 9, which presents a bouquet of flowers about five or six inches in height, 
with scarcely a leaf. These are excellent for borders around beds. The DwarJ 
Pyramidal Bouquets, represented by engraving, fig. 10, make plants from ten to 
twelve inches in height. Next in height is the New Schiller, about fifteen inches, 
which we represent on this page. It will be seen to be of very peculiar habit, 
the leaves being almost entirely at the base of the plant, and drooping. Another class, like the 
Imbrique Pompon and Chrysanthemum-Jlowered, grow from eighteen inches to two feet in height, 
while the tallest class, represented by the New Rose, Perfection, and others, range from two to 
three feet. 
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