TO THE FLOWER GAEDEN. 45 



though some are nearly hardy ; the majority are showy, and 

 grow freely in the open air during summer. Within the last 

 ten or fifteen years great advance has been made in the pro- 

 perties of this curious flower ; and it is to be regretted that 

 the finest quality of the plant has been lost sight of, through 

 the ill-advised plan of giving prizes for the worst possible 

 habit of the plants. Shrubliy Calceolarias are very handsome 

 objects, while the herbaceous kinds have larger, coarser, and 

 worse-shaped flowers ; and prizes have been given for these as 

 well as the others. The consequence has been, the production 

 of a race that are neither the one nor the other. Calceolarias 

 are, strictly speaking, greenhouse plants, and will bear no 

 frost. They are generally kept, until they are rising for 

 bloom, in pits, where frost can be kept out by mats or other 

 coverings, for anything short of frost will not hurt them. 

 They are propagated by cuttings of the side-shoots, which root 

 freely if planted in light sandy peat about October ; but they 

 do not root freely if planted in spring or summer. Seeds 

 may be sown in pans or wide-mouthed pots in August, and 

 the seedlings potted off, six or eight in a pot, when large 

 enough ; and after this, when they have got forward enough, 

 put singly in small pots, to be changed from time to time 

 for larger : these bloom early the following year. Later 

 blooming plants may be had by sowing in spring. The stems 

 require no support unless the plants are to be carried out, in 

 which case the}' require a stake to every stem. The soil should 

 be light rich loam, well drained. C. mtegri folia and its 

 varieties, angustifolia and viscosissima, are brilliant flower- 

 garden dwarf shrubby plants, bearing large masses of yellow 

 blossoms from May throughout the summer. The florist's 

 varieties are very numerous, and are constantly undergoing 

 change and improvement. 



CALENDULA. Marigold. [Compositse.] Sho^7 hardy 

 or half-hardy annuals and greenhouse shrubs. The hardy 

 annual species succeed in common garden soil, and are readily 

 increased by seeds, which should be sown in April. The half- 

 hardy sorts should be reared on a slight hotbed in April, and 

 planted out in May. The common Marigold is very brilliant. 

 The Cape Marigolds open only under the influence of sunshine. 

 The shrubby greenhouse kinds are unimportant. 



