72 
the florist and pomologist. 
[May, 
found to be strong enough, and this should be 
cut into proper lengths, with the lower end 
turned up in a semi-circular form, so as to 
catch the roller when it descends, and prevent 
it from running off the supports. These sup¬ 
porting rods should be fixed to the bars or 
rafters of the house, about six inches above 
the woodwork, by being welded to vertical 
iron stays, which latter should be flattened out 
at the base, and provided with holes so that 
they can be screwed to the rafters or bars of 
the roof. In this way a strong support for the 
blinds to roll upon will be formed. The 
blinds themselves can be attached to the 
elevated ridge in the ordinary way, and the 
gearing usually employed for the purpose 
will be found to answer well for pulling them 
up or down. Many Orchid growers have 
already adopted these raised blinds with very 
beneficial results.—B. S. Williams, Victoria 
Nursery, Zipper Holloway. (Orchid Album.) 
ANNUAL ASTERS. 
1 HE China Aster, Callistephus chinensis, 
is one of the most beautiful of our 
annual flowers. It is said to have 
been first raised in the Jardin des 
Plantes at Paris, from seeds received direct 
from China, and under cultivation has yielded 
a great variety of forms, not only in their 
colour, but also as regards the habit and 
general character of the plant and the struc¬ 
ture of the flower-heads, which latter have 
not only become double, but in some cases 
the disk florets though retaining their normal 
tubular form have become more prominent 
and highly coloured, -while in others they have 
become altered in form so as to resemble the 
strap-shaped florets of the ray—the former 
being the quilled, the latter the pseony- 
flowered Asters of gardeners. Perhaps the 
most beautiful of the modern varieties are 
those which are called Crown Asters, in which 
the ray florets are of a distinct colour from 
those which occupy the centre. 
Mr. James Betteridge, of Common Hill, 
Chipping Norton, Oxon., is one of the leading 
growers of Asters in this country, and the 
effect produced in his nursery during the 
blooming season by some 120,000 plants in 
full flower, ranged in four-feet beds, is very 
imposing. His very successful mode of cul¬ 
tivation was fully described last year in the 
Field newspaper, from which we make the 
following extracts :— 
“ For several years after I commenced the 
culture of Asters, I always sowed the seed in 
bottom heat; but during the last decade the 
plan adopted has been to sow in a cold frame, 
under glass, some time between March 26 
and April 26, in drills 6 in. apart, and not 
too thick in the drills. A few days suffices 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 w r ell, plant them 
out into the beds or quarters where they are 
to bloom, in well-manured soil, being careful 
not to break the tender fibres of the roots. 
Let the rows he 1 ft. apart, and plant the 
strongest plants 12 in. from each other; this 
should he done in showery weather, when the 
plants soon get established. If the weather 
be hot and drying, a little watering will he 
necessary 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 are required for exhibition, the plants 
must he 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 five or six blooms on each plant. Ex¬ 
hibition blooms should be of large size, with 
full high centres, and deep distinct colours, with 
solid petals. To secure these qualifications in 
this England of ours, shading of some kind is 
necessary. 
“ 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 dry weather set in. Planted 
in the ordinary way they are mere weeds 
compared 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 to be found 
in borders, 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 
