1876.] 
STRIPED FRENCH MARIGOLDS. 
245 
flower, and the blossoms too often get destroyed by frost. Trees on the north 
side of walls are in general late, in some seasons very late, as was the case last 
spring ; and in consequence they stand a good chance of escaping injury from 
frost. Moreover, in addition to the securing of a crop, there is also the advantage 
of prolonging the season of these particular fruits. 
On a north wall here there is a tree of the Jefferson Plum, and on a south wall 
there are two fine young healthy trees of the same variety. The tree on the north 
wall produces in general double the quantity of fruit that the trees on the south 
wall do; this season the tree on the north wall had a heavy crop of fruit, some 
of which are at the present time (October 11) still on the tree, whilst the two trees 
on the south wall had very few fruit, though they were one sheet of blossoms 
last spring. Green Gage, Kirke’s, Victoria, and other Plums I find are the same ; 
they all suffer more or less on south walls by coming too early into flower. When 
the fruit is left to ripen properly on north walls, I find it equal in size and quality 
to that from trees on south walls. 
Cherries on south walls come early into bloom also, and often suffer from 
frost. Most kinds do well on north walls, and if well protected by nets from 
birds keep a long time. Many kinds of Pears, again, do well on north walls. 
As the present is a favourable time for planting, I would strongly recommend 
those who have any vacant space on their north walls to plant it with Plums, 
Cherries, and Pears. Where the soil is strong and heavy, and the subsoil 
retentive, I would advise that the borders should be well drained, otherwise the 
trees will not do so well, for north borders, if of heavy strong soil, are longer in 
drying than south borders, and if not well drained, the roots are liable to suffer 
from excess of moisture in winter.—M. Saul, Stoiirton. 
STKIPED FRENCH MARIGOLDS. 
AM glad to find that these beautiful flowers are justly valued. It is only, 
however, of late years that they have become so perfect in form and mark- 
ing, and that a shorter and more compact style of growth has been obtained. 
V The strain of large rambling plants did not produce the beautiful striped 
flowers as we now have them. To show them with the stripe, we had to choose 
young blooms, with many central florets unexpanded, so that mere buds were 
shown in comparison with the full flowers that are exhibited now. 
I once met with a small purely-striped flower upon a dwarf plant, and by 
growing it among our old varieties it helped to produce such flowers as I am 
speaking of. Some are orange ground, with maroon stripes; others pale-yellow, 
with narrow stripes of maroon ; and some are edged like picotees. I have also 
obtained another strain of yellow, striped with orange. I never save seed of it, 
and never grow more than one or two plants of it; but it always comes, more or 
less, in every batch of seed. One year I grew a quantity of it, with such a result 
that I thought I should be having nothing but yellows if I did not keep this 
powerful variety in check. It has, however, this to recommend it—that it will 
