250      CULTIVATION  OF  AND  TRADE  IN  ROMAN  CHAMOMILE. 
4.  Melt,  change    color,  sub- 
lime,  and   deposit    car-  J  7^Cii) 
bon.  Bruc 
Aconitia 
Atropia 
Delphinia 
Veratria 
cia 
Digitalia 
Picrotoxia 
Solania 
5.  Decrepitates,  sublimes 
slowly  and  scantily,  and  J- Tartar  emetic 
chars. 
-Lon.  Pharm.  Journ.\  Feb.,  1868. 
Sublime. 
Melt. 
1  40° 
4.00° 
150° 
280° 
1  RAO 
OA  AO 
200° 
360° 
240° 
400° 
310° 
310° 
320° 
320° 
420° 
420° 
480° 
550° 
ON  THE  CULTIVATION  OF  AND  TRADE  IN  ROMAN 
CHAMOMILE. 
The  Roman  or  noble  chamomile  (Anthemis  nobilis  L.),  which 
grows  wild  in  the  mountain  meadows  of  Southern  Germany,  is 
largely  cultivated  in  the  district  lying  between  Leipzig  and 
Altenburg.  The  village  of  Kieritzsch  is  particularly  noted,  and 
in  the  neighborhoods  of  Zwenkau,  Roetha,  Borna,  Lucka, 
Gaschwitz,  Gaulis,  Spahnsdorf,  Lippendorf,  Trachenau,  &c,  it 
has  also  been  grown  by  many  farmers  with  advantage. 
The  young  plants,  previously  taken  off  as  layers,  are  planted 
in  April  or  May,  in  such  manner  that  around  each  one  there  is 
about  a  square  foot  of  space.  In  favorable  weather  the  plant 
grows,  quickly  and  spreads  regularly  over  the  soil,  so  that  the 
whole  field  becomes  evenly  covered ;  the  flowers  appear  upon 
the  shoots  in  such  numbers,  that  a  field  of  chamomile  in  the 
season  of  blooming  looks  as  though  it  were  covered  with  a  white 
cloth,  provided  the  weather  is  favorable.  The  blossoming  begins 
in  July,  and  lasts  until  autumn,  so  that  the  gathering  of  the 
flowers  can  be  continued  until  that  time.  The  culture  consists 
in  carefully  pruning  the  plants,  as  long  as  the  space  is  not  en- 
tirely overrun  by  them — and  after  that,  simply  in  weeding.  An 
uniform  summer  temperature  agrees  best  with  the  plants ;  too 
wet  a  season  produces  too  luxuriant  a  growth,  to  the  disadvant- 
age of  the  blossoms  ;  even  in  a  continued  drought,  if  other  cir- 
cumstances are  favorable,  the  blossoms  are  produced  abundantly. 
In  the  larva  of  a  beetle  (Mater  segetum)  the  chamomile  have 
an  enemy,  which  by  eating  into  the  root  causes  its  death. 
