Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/857

 ZINNIA opposite, sessile, entire leaves, and the numer- ous branches each terminated by a solitary head of flowers ; the several rays are persis- tent, becoming dry and papery, in the centre of which is a conical, prominent disk, which in the normal state is crowded with small tubular florets. The best known species is Z. elegans, introduced into cultivation late in the ZINZENDORF 827 Plant of Double Zinnia (Zinnia elegans). last century ; it forms a much-branching plant, and as formerly cultivated its branches were terminated by a rather coarse but showy flow- er (properly head of flowers), 2 to 3 in. across, with rays varying from white through red and yellow to deep purple and orange ; but as it began to ripen seeds it became unsightly from Double Zinnia (Zinnia elegans). the dull color of its growing and very conspic- uous disk. About a dozen years ago double- flowered varieties were obtained, in which the disk produced ray or broad and showy florets, making an improvement quite as striking _as any in floriculture, and the plant, which in its single state was barely tolerated, is now high- ly prized ; its flowers, thoroughly double, pre- Single Zinnia (Zinnia elegans). sent much the appearance of those of a well formed small dahlia, with a similar range of colors and shades ; they are capable of produ- cing brilliant effects when planted in mass- es, affording a pro- fusion of bloom, which is continued all summer. Among oth- er species sometimes cultivated are Z. mul- tiflora, with red-pur- ple rays, and Z. an- gustifolia, which ap- pears in the cata- logues as Z. aurea and Z. Mexicana^ and its double form as Z. Haageana ; the latter is a widely spreading and much-branched plant, with small heads of orange-yellow flowers, which in the double ones are very showy. All are readily raised from seed, and succeed in any garden soil. ZINZENDORF, Nikolaus Ludwig, count, a bish- op of the Moravians, born in Dresden, May 26, 1700, died at Herrnhut, May 9, 1760. His father, a Saxon minister of state, died when the son was very young, and the latter was brought up by his grandmother, the baroness Gersdorf, an earnest disciple of Spener, who was also the young count's godfather. At the age of ten he was sent to the pcedagogium at Halle, then under the celebrated Francke, where his former religious impressions devel- oped into enthusiasm. He was removed by his uncle on this account to the university of Wittenberg in 1716, but his feelings remained unchanged ; and in addition to his other stud- ies he applied himself to theology. In 1719 he left Wittenberg and travelled through Hol- land and France, and subsequently described his tour in a work entitled "Pilgrimage of Atticus through the World." In 1721 he en- tered the electoral civil service at Dresden, but he was still much occupied with theological inquiries and devout exercises. In 1722 he married the countess Reuss von Ebersdorf, and in the same year gave a refuge on his estate of Berthelsdorf in Upper Lusatia to a few Mo- ravian families who had fled from persecution in their own country. The settlement rapidly increased, and received the name of Herrnhut. As these settlers were not agreed in their opin- ions, Zinzendorf endeavored to establish a union among them on the fundamental truths of Protestantism, formed statutes for their government, and was finally received into their congregation. He now conceived the plan of transforming the ancient Moravian church into an especial organization for propagating prac- tical Christianity. To this end in 1734 he went under an assumed name to Stralsund, passed an examination as a theological candidate, and preached for the first time in the city church ; and the same year he was ordained at Tiibin-