26 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XVIIL 1. 



C. Drummondii grows from 12 to IS inches high. The flowers 

 are yellow \Tith a ring of crimson around the di-:c. This is the most 

 valuable plant and the most attractive for flower beds in Trinidad. It 

 readily reproduces itself by seed, in fact quantities of seedlings can 

 usually be seen growing around the old plants. 



Another species C. grandiflora also does well with us here and 

 remains in bloom for a long time. 



Cupliea miniata is an introduction of 1916 and has proved valuable 

 as a bedder, occupying a bed for nearly eight months during part of 

 the dry and wet season. This is a long period for an annual in Trinidad. 

 It is cjuite a dwarf plant scarcely reaching a foot in height with scarlet 

 flowers. It readily reproduces itself by seed so there is no fear of 

 losing it. 



Dianthus. — A. prett.y group of garden flowers closely allied to the 

 carnation. They grow from about six inches to one foot in height and 

 have a wide range of colours from white through various shades and 

 markings to blood-red. Great care must be taken in raising the young 

 seedlings. Sow the seeds in boxes of very flue soil and prick off as 

 soon as large enough, later transplant to their permanent position. As 

 an edging to a bed they are very effective, or for small ribbon bads or 

 bordeis. 



Gaillardias make nice compact plants which produce very freely 

 large daisy like flowers of numerous colours, red, yellow, orange, &c. 

 They reproduce themselves readily from seed and unlike many other 

 annuals do not deteriorate when seeded in this country. Seedlings 

 grown up to the fourth generation have been noticed to improve rather 

 than the reverse. 



Gomflirena gloho?a. — Bachelor Buttons are very common but are 

 of great use especially in the wet season for filling vacant beds. They 

 also do well in the dry season. The white and purple varieties are the 

 best to cultivate and thej' occupy the beds tor from three to four 

 months. 



Marigolds. — Both African and French Marigolds are good showy 

 plants when grown in the right season. The dry season is the best 

 for the purpose especially for the French variety as during excessive wet 

 weather they tend to make much foliage at the expense of the flower. 

 The African varieties are more suited for the wet season and we have 

 recently had a fine bed of Orange Beauty in the Botanic Gardens. 

 These occupied the beds for four months. 



Marigolds are amongst the easiest plants to raise from seed and 

 will be of no difficulty to rear provided sturdy plants be obtained 

 bj' growing in sunshine. They seed here readily. 



Na&tuvtlmns. — I cannot strongly recommend Nasturtiums as a 

 good bedder under Trinidad conditions, but occasionally with care one 

 can get a good bed of the Tom Thumb variety, and they are then well 

 worth the trouble bestowed on them. The seeds produced are very few 

 compared with what one obtains in England. 



