CHICKORY. 



BY DR. W. W. BAILEY. 



npHE chickory is a Composite, that is, of the same huge 

 •^ family as the dandeHon, daisy, sunflower, aster and gold- 

 en-rod. Most of our readers probably know that in all such 

 plants the apparently single flower is really that kind of a clus- 

 ter called a head. In other words, a large number of small flo- 

 rets, in the chickory and dandelion all strap-shaped, in daisy, 

 etc., with tubular disk florets and big white rays, are aggregated 

 together and surrounded by a calyx-like involucre. These 

 Composites are high-class plants ; indeed, the highest. In any 

 lately arranged herbarium or flora or Manual they are found 

 heading the system. Each individual floret shows mar^'ellous 

 adaptations to the special end in view and all work together 

 in a republic or community where division of labor tends 

 to the good of the commonweal. In their specialization, in- 

 deed they call to mind the extraordinary development of bees, 

 ants and other similar creatures. 



While the flowers of chickory are ordinarily blue, they are 

 sometimes pink and of course, now and then white. Indeed, 

 albinos occur among flowers of any color as one may see white 

 cardinal flowers, gentians, self-heal or harebells. Pretty as 

 our plant is when the flowers are open, it is a troublesome 

 weed and unsightly, when, as in the afternoon they are closed. 

 The old description of Asa Gray "stems twiggy" then hits it 

 off very well. 



Its leaves make a capital salad when young as was known 

 to the Romans and is mentioned in Horace. It is said by 

 Gerard in his quaint old "Herbal" that "the leaves of chickory 

 are boiled in pottage or broths for sick or feeble persons that 

 have hot, weak or feeble stomachs to strengthen the same." 



In a paper by Maurice G. Kains, issued some years ago 

 by the United States Department of Agriculture, we learn 

 that "At the present day its young leaves are considered equal 



54 



