150 FAMILIAR FLOWERS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 



magnificent hues of the Eschscholtzia ^ nothing can 

 surpass the ro.yal color of the Prince of Orange, and 

 no yellow is purer and stronger 

 than that of the lemon or sul- 

 phur calendula. The Meteor is 

 beautifully striped with pump- 

 kin orange on a yellow ground, 

 and Trianon is a bright-yellow 

 flower with a brown boss in the 

 center. My favorite variety is 

 the pale-tinted Le Proust, which 

 has a dark center and a circle of 

 closely packed, light yellow-buff 

 rays. Like the nasturtium, the 

 calendula produces an unlimited 

 supply of flowers on the condi- 

 tion that the blossoms must be 

 continually picked. 

 It is a pity that the plant is generally considered 

 an ill-scented one ; even Gray mentions this little 

 drawback. But I like the smell of calendulas ; it is 

 herby and grateful — at least to my olfactory nerves. 

 Perhaps this may be on account of a long-continued 

 acquaintance with the flower, but it is a significant 

 fact that those who really love Nature's beautiful 

 things take few exceptions to her peculiarities, and I 

 will admit that the smell of the calendula is peculiar. 



Le Proust Calendula. 



