THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINE. 
261 
hoarv flowers are apt to be 
torn about by wind and rain 
''"’r varieties are my favourites, 
,Tvoral newer American types 
. .Mried, including the Upright 
w.iith are erect in growth, in- 
-wling, as are the average 
tvpt^. Peerless Pink, a fine 
pink, averages thirty inches 
hknuns five inches across and 
:d a-half inches deep. Marvel 
hing can be had in azure bine. 
Electric, another German variety, might 
be called a quilled Comet; the petals are 
narrow', and very stiff. It is pure wdiite, 
and comes six inches across, but is ratlier 
flat. Mikado Pink, or Rochester, is a 
gem, with delicate lavender-pink flowers. 
It is one of the finest asters of the Comet 
tyjie ever raised, and a great favourite in 
America. It was raised by Vick, and it is 
the official flower of the city af Rochester, 
New York. Violet King, a deep purple of 
the branching type, has rather narrow 
petals, but is a very full flow'er; a real 
DIMORPHOTHECA 
AURANTIACA. 
This is one of the most showy of annuals^ 
and useful both for conservatory decoration 
and for planting out in the flower borders. 
The colour of the flowers are a rich orange, 
with a iblack blotch at the base of each 
petal. It requires a position fully exposed 
to the sun, for if planted in the shade tlie 
flowers will only partly open, and the beauty 
of the plant is not then seen to advantage. 
From one to two dozen plants should be 
ASTER ELECTRIC. 
P" form similar to \^cl 
p i.e. 
P»nk, and Deep R< 
^^pmoflatoblooLVs 
tie r are , 
type, and 
Flowers jjurc white and about Gin. in diameter. 
masterpiece, and a great rival of the chry¬ 
santhemum, which shows nothing in this 
colour. 
Anyone growing such asters as these 
can reckon on flow'ers from four to seven 
inches across, without the removal of flower 
buds other than those that may appear 
on the individual flow'er stems. The branch- 
ing types average eight to twelve flowers. 
each. No pinching is necessary with these 
a.stcrs, and, so far as my experience goes, 
the flowers do not gain much in size if 
the plants are kept to three or four stems. 
T. A. Weston. 
grown in a group, and then a most brilliant 
eff^t is produced ; in fact, the colour is 
quite dazzling. The seeds should be sow'u 
in pans, filled with light, sandy soil, and 
placed in a warm house to germinate. In 
March or April, when the seedlings are large 
enough to handle, they should be trans¬ 
planted into boxes, and allow'ed to remain 
in. the house until they recover from the 
disturbance. After becoming fairly estab¬ 
lished, cold frame treatment is most suit, 
able. The plants may be potted w hen nc<es- 
sary, grown close for a time, and gradually 
hardened off. E. C. P. 
