88 PRESENT-DAV GARDENING 



Some strains are about ih foot high, but the majority of 

 the finer forms grow 3 feet high, and a good specimen will 

 be 2 feet through ; these figures will serve as a guide for 

 planting. The best of the African varieties are Prince of 

 Orange, deep orange-yellow; and Lemon Queen, lemon- 

 yellow ; both brought to great perfection by Messrs. Dobbie 

 and Co. 



Both African and P'rench Marigolds must be sown in a 

 temperature of 6o°-65°in March or early April to be a success. 

 The young plants need a fair amount of heat until making 

 good progress, when the work of gradually hardening them 

 off should begin, so that by the beginning of June they are 

 sturdy examples, ready to plant out. While the African 

 Marigolds delight in a rich soil, the French sorts are best 

 placed in rather poor soil, but both are garden forms of 

 Mexican plants, and therefore are of small value unless 

 planted in a warm and sunny position. 



Other Tagetes of some value for garden decoration are T. 

 lucida, I foot, yellow, known as the Mexican Marigold, and 

 T. signata, i\ foot, yellow. A dwarf variety of T. signata is 

 known as pumila. 



TROPAEOLUM 



" Nasturtium " 



Common as the Tropaeolums undoubtedly are, in the sense 

 that they are known to every one and found in the child's 

 garden in a backyard as well as in the largest public and 

 private gardens in the land, they are not to be despised. 

 Whether the tall or the dwarf sorts are considered there is 

 great variety in the colouring and markings of the flowers, as 

 well as in the colour of the foliage, this latter variation being 

 most marked in the dwarf varieties. Nothing is more easily 

 grown, and few plants give such a bright display for such a 

 small outlay of time, care, and expense. In 1910 I distributed 



