MARIGOLD. 187 



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MARIGOLD. 



(CALENDULA.) 



" The Marigold, that goes to bed with the sun, 

 And with him rises weeping." 



This is a numerous family of long established plants, 

 which has been in cultivation ever since 1683. It is of 

 easy culture, by sowing the seeds in April: when the 

 plants are large enough, transplant them to where they 

 are intended to flower. Persons wishing to cultivate them 

 to perfection, should be particular and save the largest 

 flowers for seed, and destroy all those that are not wholly 

 double, or your variety will soon degenerate to the single 

 kinds, which are not worth cultivating. Generally speak- 

 ing, they will accommodate themselves to any soil, and 

 where grown will scatter their own seed, and come up in 

 the spring. Such gratuitous plants should never be 

 saved, as no dependence can be placed on them as double 

 flowers ; therefore be more careful of the choice seeds, if 

 you desire good flowers. Linnaeas has remarked that the 

 Marigold opens regularly at nine in the morning, and 

 closes at three, and generally turns with the sun, like the 

 Helianthus. 



I will name a few of the varieties cultivated at present, 

 though some are old plants, but not common. C. grami- 

 nifolia, the grass leaved Marigold, is a perennial, and is 

 increased by division of the roots. Between the leaves rise 

 naked peduncles, nine inches long, bearing one flower at 



