Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-06

''What DO you consider the requisites of a
national fower?' asked the STAR reporter.
why" was the reply, lit must be flower that
| is indigenous to this country--one that is more
common here than elsewhere in the world: one
that is well known by the most people in the
country, and one that grows in all or nearly all
| the states of the Union. flower that is COM
mon in New England and much thought of
there Is not necessarily national flower. One
| that is abundant in the south and there as much
regarded is not national One that is confined
| to the Atlantic or to the Pacific coast or vet
for an emblem of the United States ought to be
| one that grows all over it. 1t may not be pos
sible to find beautiful flower that grows
freely in every state, but one may be
| found that grows wild in most of them
! and may be readily cultivated in any
| OF them. Such flower must be chosen. 1t is
desirable to have a flower that is peculiarly
| American, one that is commonly known, and
not the least. one that is conceded by all people
to be beautiful. Beauty in color would not be
sufficient. flower to be selected as an emblem
must be recognizable by Its distinctive shape,
regardless of color. Many flowers that are
| very beautiful, if printed in black and white.
would not be recognizable. Such one would
not do. The bare outline of emblematic
| flowers should be distinctive. 1t should be
marked by beauty of form. Worked upon a
banner. printed on book, worked in gold en-
graved upon a shield, it should always boldly
| proclaim its character.
HE DIsAPPRovEs THE GoLDEN-RoD.
"That is the great trouble with the golden
roc II may be fairly called an American
fover, and it is, too, a very beautiful one but
| it is so entirely dependent upon its color. In
print spray of golden-rod would look like q
weed. 1t could not rely on its outline for iden-
LITIGATION. That is the only objection to it, but
1 consider that very serious one. There is
| one flower think of that seems to fill the bill
most completely. Draw its outline in any color
| or no colOr-scratch it with pin on
| piece of copper, and you not only recognize
| 1t at once, but are conscious of its beauty. II
grows in nearly every state in the union. 1t is
strongly American in its character, for it is
| found In greater abundance and greater per-
lection here than elsewhere in the world Its
| beauty is universally conceded. 1t is familiar
| to every American and is dear to the hearts of
| all who love the beautiful. 1t has found a
place in our poetry and associated itself with
| our everyday life. 1t is the first flower as
children we learn to love and the last one we
| resign our affection for. Who does not love a
daisy?
THE DAISY SHOULD BE THE NATIONAL FLOWER.
''ln its varieties there is probably not a state
in the Union where it does not grow wild GER
tainly none where it cannot be cultivated II
is almost Us common as blades of grass but its
beauty does not lack for appreciation on &C.
count Of this. Every one who has a sense of
beauty admires this pure, self-reliant, hardy
little flower. Why it has the qualities of good
American citizenship in itself! Apply its hardy
qualities to those of the characteristic Ameri-
can. A daisy field. whether yellow or white,
is thing Of rare beauty. Whether it is an
array of daisies holding their heads up to meet
the drenching rain or bowling before the
strength OF the gale, or merely single flower
growing by the dusty roadside or forcing its
way between bricks in backyard, there is
in fhn n
delicacy and strength. Our idea of rural
beauty is daisy field No flower that
grows will sooner make our children's
eyes sparkle than will the daisy. Its outline is
| distinctive and beautiful. 1t can be worked
into any design and in any way. Why, draw a
daisy in red ink and everybody will know what
1t Is. Scratch it in the sand with the point of
parasol-make its outline in any way-it is a
daisy. Think Of whatever flower l will, can
not find one other that seems quite as appro-
pirate as that for the American flower.
CRITICISM OF OTHER CANDIDATES.
'The wisteria is beautiful enough and has a
national character, but, like the golden-rod, it
ence on color. The laurel blossom is purely
American and is a fine flower. but to it is the
objection that it cannot be made to grow eyery-
where. No, it would not do for any state in the
Union not to be able to have the national flower
growing in its front yards. The potato and
tirely American. Yes; but they are not flowers!
The potato is q vegetable. As to the tobacco, it
is sectional plant-it is a growth Of but one
part of the country.
"a national flower must not be rare" he
added; sit must be one that we all are familiar
with and that may be had for the plucking by
the poorest of US. We must not be dependent
upon the florist for it. The daisy is the flower
OF freedom"
SUPERINTENDENT SAUNDERS FAvoRs GoLDEN-Rop,
'The national fower?" queried Mr.. VIM.
Saunders, the superintendent of the gardens
ct the Agricultural department, Certainly I'll
give you my, opinion. Not more than three
weeks ago had to answer that very question
for Secretary Rusk. have two favorites,
told him, the golden-rod and the sun flower.
In view of the fun that has been made of the
sun flower of late, l think 1 rather prefer the
goiden-rod. Both are truly American flowers,
and are, therefore, eligible. think the
golden-rod would make rather better designs
than the sun flower, on account of its graceful
flowing curve, while the other is rather stiff
and conventional You should see the great
feet high, waving their yellow stems in the air.
No, don't think the daisy is entitled to be
called the national flower, for IL is not strictly
native. Then, too, some folks call it weed.
Neither is the cotton bloom native; it is a
sufficiently well known or individual to be
given the rank, although it is purely American.
| should award the rank to the golden-rod,
by all means"
SUPERINTENDENT SMITH VOTES ron THE SUM-
FLOWER. "r
'sFor national fower,'' said superintendent
Smith Of the botanical garden, to a SrAR re-
porter, 1--WE want something distinctively
American-we want variety characteristics Of
the people ii 10 to represent. think the SUM-
flower Is the thing; il is one of the few purely
American flowers; 1t grows in every part Of
the country; heat or cold does not seem TO
affect it in the slightest degree, and il bears all
the year round with righteousness possessed
by none other. The sun6ower," continued Mr..
Smith, sis emblematical Of the American char
acter, IL any flower il. It Il strong, healthy.
energetic plant, bold, pushing and aggressive.
II allows nothing to stand in Its way, and IL the
first in the field everywhere. Pillow the prairies,
and in Q month the big yellow and black Aow-
ers viii be nodding In the sun. Where do they
como from? No one can tell; at least every
one has failed to do 20 up to the present time.
II seems TO be part Of the soil and comes -
naturally - the grass. In every nook and
Granny Of this big country Of ours they win be
found. You find it everywhere, and, though
quite homely ct first sight, IL grows upon you
and You look upon IL 10 an old friend.
There are great many varieties o1 Glesun-
flower" Mr.. Smith continued. Gray, In his
Botany, describes eighteen varieties, but am
under the impression that there are number
which have never been properly classed. All
Of them are American, the majority coming
from North America, although there ere sev-
eral that are natives of Peru and Chill These
Iutt has AZ H. L. r