ii 9 



all summer and fall until stopped by frost. Lemon and 

 orange are the leading colors of the African type, while 

 the French include brown, golden striped, yellow, brown 

 and yellow, etc. One of the recent introductions amongst 

 African marigolds is the "El Dorado," and I will give 

 the originator's description which it has fulfilled in every 

 respect : " Without exception the very finest type of this 

 showy autumn flower. The flowers are from three to 

 four inches in diameter, perfectly imbricated, and very 

 double. The colors run through all shades of yellow, 

 from very light primrose to the deepest orange, and the 

 proportion of double flowers is greater than in almost any 

 other selection." Another beautiful class of marigolds 

 is the Calendula or pot marigolds ; these are of the easiest 

 culture and bloom almost the whole year outdoors or in 

 the greenhouse ; in fact the word Calendula is derived 

 from calendar meaning the first days of the months, in 

 reference to its flowers being produced almost every 

 month. The annual varieties mostly cultivated are the 

 Meteor and Prince of Orange. The Meteor is light gol- 

 den yellow in color, striped with intense orange, and 

 blooms continually from May until late autumn. The 

 Prince of Orange many consider surpasses the above in 

 beauty, the flowers being striped with a more intense 

 shade of orange, and this glowing tone is imparted to the 

 whole flower ; a bed of either is superb. There is also a 

 white calendula but it is seldom grown. 



BALSAM. 



The Balsam (Lady's Slipper) being a tender annual 

 should not be planted outdoors until warm, dry weather. 

 They should be started in heat and set out when they 

 have made two leaves, in rows or beds not nearer than 

 two feet apart each way. The soil should be made as 

 rich as possible, and the plants, as soon as they become 

 well started, should be securely staked ; being very pro- 

 fuse bloomers it is necessary to pinch off a portion of the 

 shoots, which will increase the size of the flowers and add 



