PYRAMIDAL-FLOWERED GERM AN. 
A Chapter on Asters. 
' mvE of the best known and most popu- 
1 awers in the gardens of a century ago 
wW] the China Aster, a small, white, single, 
starlike flower, which was sent from China 
to France where it was popularly called 
Queen Dais} r . It did not, it is said, bear 
any more resemblance to the Asters of the 
present day than the little white Mayweed 
of our meadows does to the Dahlia. So we 
can see what long continued selection and 
breeding has brought forth. Instead of 
becoming common and neglected it lias 
been carefully treated until no class of 
plants can now rival it for a brilliant autumn 
display among all our annuals. The ease 
with which it is grown, and the general 
]'vEONY-FLOWERED GLOBE ASTER. 
success which attends its cultivation even 
in the hands of a novice, renders it a gener¬ 
al favorite. Any good deep, clean, soil 
which would bring a fair crop of potatoes 
will give a handsome show, though a little- 
extra care, such as liquid manure and a 
mulch of straw or litter, will produce larger 
and more perfect flowers. The plants 
transplant very readily, hence are generally 
sown under glass about the first of April 
and the plants put out when they are want¬ 
ed a few weeks later. Some of the late va¬ 
rieties whicn produce large flowers need a 
little support in the way of staking and ty¬ 
ing to prevent them being injured by the 
wind. Care should be taken that the plants 
do notf-become too tall and spindling before 
transplanting, as such can never again be 
brought into proper shape. Nothing is 
gained by planting them too early as the- 
finest flowers are produced late in summer 
QUILLED GERMAN ASTER. 
after the drouthy season has passed As¬ 
ters 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 Paeony, that a few words of des¬ 
cription of the different varieties seem nec¬ 
essary to prevent persons purchasing what 
they do not want. 
Quilled German grows one-half to two 
feet in height. The flowers are double and 
the petals have the appearance of quills or 
tubes. They are extensively grown for ex¬ 
hibition purposes. No class of Asters con¬ 
tains sc many shades of color as this, and 
a very correct and pleasing idea of the re¬ 
lation and harmony of colors can be gained 
by studying them. 
