Telegram-herald., 1889-06-07
THE NATIONAL FL0WER
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coFTaEear lsss.
fas question 0f tne choice 0f a nztioaal
r9~er, discussed II these colsnns = fort.
UlsEt age has ssskened general interest
aEnoaz women. What sgrg of greea l.
dearest - AmeEic2Hss Wnat rcNsr Is
rooted IA ouF nearts 4sd usfolds ia pstsis
Ia our sistoFyg What posy on~red tas
bnsatest Prozziss u ~sleoale g tie frst
iHalaizFants vhsss shlos ploughsd west
~Asaf " bat blossom smiled a. "a prom
ii~d peacs - tee soldiers or bota parties
ia TIE civil VAR WHAT bloom i most
fragrant whsn crushed by Ghs wheels Of
TIE prairie schooner rolling heavily toward
the. of prSmisey hat flower Is demo
cratic enough o. be at home IA the sarthen
crock Al the wladow of the settlers eabin.
and beautiful enough - De the pride u
tie Eieh aud worn st = fsir wOuaanrs bosomt
Is there any nower which could
be made with propriety an emblem Of the
republic, which could &c counted among
our insignia. along with the nsg. the eagle
and the shield' Is there any flower which
eOuldltppify our national characteristics
which Is distinctly American, large sturdy
amd brave. stately aud fragrant. uneon-
texture. fair 10 look upony Have We any
EOwer which our scalpt0rs could ebssel
aud our artists could paiut, and which
Wanders could point To a. the flower OF
their OWE land, Can We have q national
hOwerf To cOntiaus the quotation Of
opinions:
Tne mountain laurel, with It's rich
leaves and lavish bloom and wide distribu.
tiOn seems 10 me the nttest flower for a
national emblem, and urxt 90 II the golden
rod, the llc1ruate Sunshine 81 late sum
mer. EDNA DEAN PROCTOR.
Following the poet come the artists, and
first the founder OF the society OF Asso-
ciattd Artists, the fountain head OF decor
atiye art in America;
think the magnolia Is the most peculiar
% u.s. Hover We have, but without ques-
ton or appropriateness | should name the
water lily Is queen among native hlos-
sons. CANpACE WuRFrER
Ny answer il the magnolia, the Ameri-
can species ot magnolia. IL j. n very large
Hover, can be seen AT great distance.
which ls - great advantage for decoration
AT any national festival Secondly. IL has
fragrance. and IN the Language of flowers
taking the poets OF al nations rs tho
heaveu-sent iuterpreters) fragrance Is EN-.
blematical OF soul. Thirdly, il grows on
a strong stem. and strength is a national
Characteristic. Fourth. the magnolia has
not yet been connected with any other
country or characteristic, and SO is free
from other associations
However. there is another flower to
which hangs the only historic legend con
nected with the revolution Of 17s6, the
trailing arDutus. The legend Is that
where the most blood was shed for na-
tional Independence there the flower has
the deepest color. The trailing arbutus
blossoms under the snow, has perfume,
has both vitality and delicacy, aud is
hardy, can take care Of itself: in short has
American characteristics. Its long strag-
CLING vine takes root easily and bears
brown aud green leaves and has a furry /,
stem. | believe the srbutus grows no. /
where but in this country.
In using emblems in decorative design /
Ing have employed the trailing arbutus
for the North and the magnolia for the /
South when making "a decoration TO typify /
our whole United States.
ALICE DoNLEY,
Eew York Studio Of the Ladies Art Asso-
citation.
Some members OF the guild Of the pen
offer interesting suggestions:
As TO the choice Of a national flower. I'm
the first place, would say let it be dis
tinctly American. Let us not adopt syror
bols. rs we'll as citizens, steal the EN- nblems
or foreign States we steal their litera-
ture and music. 80 leave unplucked-at
royal English rose, Bourbon lilies, Bona
partist viOlets. German Imperial conhow-
ers, the Austrian stephanotis. the Italian
aud the Swiss edelweiss Lay
not violent hands on the Scotch thistle.
seek not 20 transplant the Irish shamrock
thInkingit would always grow four-lesved
for Us. Let us have something new,
native and characteristic.
COmingof Puritan stock my first unre-
fssrr ~hf
flower beheld by the Plymouth Pilgrim.
the dear, sweet trailing Rrbutus IL is
hardy, II Is CHEEKY. even brave aud pushing
when dead leaves and late SHOWS obstruct
rs passage To the light. but il is also mod
est and does not get above the ground.
Certes, 'tis too humble flower for us.
The yellow lessamine Of the South is too
sectional and the wild clematis and the
afiuent wisteria are vines, aud we want
DO creeping thing. not even the splendid
'carlet begonia Of Virginia, though that is
rot oolectiOnably modest. II blows its
)wn trumpet In magnificent STYLE The
aurei and rhOdOdendrOn are shrubs verv
lue III their way, but not in national
preventative way. Nor are we quite ready
- adopt the brilliant cardinal flower IL
lath a sectarian, papal suggestiyeness.
3eSldes IL belongs to wild. swampy regions /
mi VIII vanish as We settle mp the land. 4
he lilac - too domestic and the sunfloyver
5 too aesthetic. We want something big.
M noble and grand, and what so emil
iently and POLITICALLY proper ~ the mag
Ioila, the magnolia gTGrGifJTd, Tho
rec gives generous shade for the weary,
ne glorious flower itself shines stsrlike
mid the dark, rich foliage, AMI sweetens
he circumambiant air, far and near. II
: not delicate exotic, for the cons-rvn-
1TicS OF the aristOcrat and ths millionaire
- not only a free native product. but
piendid Is It is, thoroughly democratic
ymbol. GRACE GRrFEwoOp.
A. a national emblem would suggest
5 some ore has done before me. perhaps
le apple blossom as the most appropriate
ail our field or orchard flowers. In
atuFe and IN art apple blossoms are beau.
lut and graceful and while their fra
rance makes the orchard place Il delight
q May. suggestive alike TO the bees Of
oaey and 20 man Of the fruits that shall
"swcii IN sunar June
And reddeu IN tde August noon-
The apple is our national fruit. an i'm
ortant source ~ the nations wealth. nuI
found in ai. parts of the union. Apuis
iosscns are universal favoritss vxalcon,a
IKE pa halls of spiendor and in the cos-
ikss ~ the poor Their rOoeata huoa ara
'minders ~ chiilhood's day and linked
ith q Thousand dear memories Of home
~ frieass Iheapp.s blossom has special
a. NJ. as national emblem. upon the
atriofs hearts. favored alike hv sense snd ,
.rtiDent. - the flowers hss- sdanted -
q with the faz and the shield sad lie
'ge LAURA c. HofLoTkT-
To me roses are the most besutif ful of
Ho7vers and the most 81 izuifcant More
pa any others 40 they share Ip the JOYS
lG sorrows NJ humanity TIE uaIp-fared {
les ara trrnghf 70 soften the barshuess :
dea-h, and those q rich color 70 grace =