“FLOWER SEEDS 
FINE 
FOR F L ORIS T S” 
ASTERS 
No question about a successful crop of Asters 
being profitably welcomed in any market. The 
prol)lem is to produce such a crop. No doubt 
about the superiority of the rot resistant strains, 
but they are not proof against rotting out when 
their growth is checked or in an unusually wet 
season such as the past one, for excess moisture 
unquestionably encourages rot of all kinds. Any 
check in growth weakens resistance to rot. This 
is proven by the fact tliat when Asters are sown 
direct, as many amateurs do, and not trans¬ 
planted, they almost invariably come clean. But 
this results in rather short stems for commercial 
work. Our plan is to sow in the greenhouse 4 to 
5 weeks before it is safe to plant out. In planting, 
water promptly to avoid the check of a bad wilt. 
Water fairly heavy during dry weather, thruout 
the growing season. 
In most of the middle west it is impossible, 5 sum- 
. mers out of 6, to grow good Asters in the open. Not 
only does a cloth house protect them from the “yel¬ 
lows,” but the shade cloth produces longer stems 
and betters flower size and finish. But during a wet 
season they seem more inclined to rot in a cloth 
house. We have strengthened our cloth houses in 
recent years thru tighter wiring and sewing cloth 
to all wires, making the structure more rigid to high 
wind. When successfully grown, Asters are a 
profitable greenhouse crop. 
Unless your house is surrounded with weeds that 
harbor the Aster leaf hopper, little or no yellows 
will show up in a greenhouse, where stems are long 
and flowers come clean. We find under glass they 
don’t rot out so badly on a raised bed as on a deep 
ground l)ed. W^e believe this is due to the hardei 
growth any crop makes in 4-6 in. of soil. Also, such 
W'ell Grown Asters Are Always Profitable 
beds are closer to ventilation than ground beds, that 
produce soft midsummer Aster growth, especially 
in rich old soil. When plants appear stunted or 
starved, it is frequently caused by aphides at the roots 
that are carried there by ants. This could not hap¬ 
pen if surrounding areas are clean of material that 
harbors ants. We might add further that if Asters 
are grown some distance, probably mile, from 
all grass and weeds that play host to the leaf hop¬ 
per, the Aster will be free of the “yellows.” Abso¬ 
lute cleanliness in and out of the greenhouse pays. 
The future greenhouse man will be much more ap¬ 
preciative of this than most of us are. 
In conclusion, if you are planning to grow acres 
and acres of Asters, remember that the more stock 
grown beyond the market requirements the less 
profit you will make. So don’t overdo, for your 
own sake as well as that of the whole industry. 
YOUR ASTER SEED 
Most of the world’s Aster seed comes from California— 
from such fields as is pictured on the next page. Climatic 
conditions there develop and mature it perfectly. We 
thoroughly go over these fields when in flower and care¬ 
fully note varieties and strains. It is impossible to go 
further in the interest of good Aster seed. The new 
crop is usuallv received in November, and every variety is 
at once checked for germination. 
ROT RESISTANT STRAINS 
These strains are built up thru the process of ‘'survival 
of the fittest.” Their resistance to rot is definitely superior 
under most soil conditions, tho a small percentage usually 
drop out. Occasionally these strains rot out badly. 
When this occurs, either cultural conditions have been 
wrong—growth checked or exposed to excess moisture— 
or they have been attacked by a form of trouble that they 
Resistant asters are 
haven’t been l)red to resist. There is no other explanation, 
for these strains are not sent out as resistant unless they 
withstand the rot of thoroly sick soil. L nder any or all 
conditions these strains are clearly superior. For this 
reason we do not list the non-resistant varieties except 
such as are not available in resistant form. 
clearly safer from rot. 
page nine 
