e season is favourable, those sown early
may bloom the first year; the remainder will flower in the year
following.

==ASPARAGUS==

==Greenhouse foliage varieties. Half-hardy perennials==

The finely laciniated foliage of =A. plumosus= is greatly prized for
bouquets, and the plant invariably commands attention as a decorative
subject on the table or in the conservatory. =A. decumbens= has long
tremulous branches of elegant dark green foliage, and the plant is
admirably adapted for hanging-baskets. =A. Sprengeri= is distinct from
both, but is also very ornamental in baskets. Sow all three varieties in
pans during February or March, in heat; prick off the seedlings
immediately they are large enough to handle, and grow on in gentle heat
until the beginning of June, when cool-house treatment will suit them.

==ASTER==

==Callistephus sinensis. Half-hardy annual==

In high summer so many flowers are available that no difficulty arises
in making a varied display. The real trouble is in discarding,
especially for a limited area. But when summer begins to merge into
autumn the choice is not so extensive, and among the annuals which then
adorn the garden Asters are indispensable. This superb flower has been
developed into many forms, and each class affords a wide range of
magnificent colours. Yet it must be admitted that in the majority of
gardens Asters are seldom grown in sufficient numbers, and it is not
unusual to find the flowers small in size and poor in colour. In many
cases we believe the reason to be that the culture of Asters is often
commenced too late. Preparations should therefore be made in good time,
and apart from providing the requisite number of plants for filling beds
and borders, and for supplying cut blooms, others should be raised for
flowering in pots. For indoor decoration full use is rarely ever made of
Asters, although the colours include many delightful shades which may
be employed with most telling effect.

To secure a long-continued display of bloom there must be several
sowings, and the earliest will need the aid of artificial heat. One
secret of successful culture is to give no check to the plant from its
first appearance until the time of flowering; and a suitable bed must be
prepared, whether the seed be sown on the spot or plants are transferred
from other quarters.

Asters do not readily accommodate themselves to violent alternations of
heat and cold, particularly in the early