Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-23
IN THE LAND or sunrLowrRs.
How Thrifty People utilize the State
Flower of Kansas.
Especial Correspondence.1

FIOWor OF Kansas
Especial Correspondence
ATCHIsoN, Kan, Oct. 4-Beginning with
the middle of July and lasting until late
in October, Kansas does her best to earn
her right to the title of the Sunfower
State The little black eyed Susans that
grow along creek banks and hide under
the trees are the first to make their APP
pearance, and as many as hundred will
be found on one little bush. They are fol-
lowed in few weeks by larger yellow
hearted sunfiower, which is the shiest of
all varieties.
1t is found only in occasional spots, bear
ing but one or two blossoms on each stalk,
that lack the peculiar resinous smell that
is part of the beauty and attractiveness of
the other varieties. From its delicate ap-
pearance it might be called the invalid of
the sunfower family.
There are about twenty different kinds
of sunfowers in July that straggle along
one after the other-a sort of an advance
guard to proclaim the coming of the real
Kansas emblem flower that bursts into
bloom about the middle of August. 1t is
dropping plant and often grows to an i'm
mense size. The leaves are heart shaped
and the sunfowers are the largest known.
When cultivated in gardens the seed pod
alone often measures seven inches in diam
eter 1t grows ON creek banks, fills up un-
slightly hollows in the towns, casts shade
along dusty roadways, claims a corner in
every flower garden, mods in at the second
story windows of houses, runs riot in the
fields, climbs thefences to get in the way
of the plow in the corn field, and in a
saucy, impudent way claims the whole
state as its territory and empire.
Thrifty people save the seeds for chicken
feed; the leaves are used for fodder, the
stalks make good fuel, and the time is
coming when the farmers will convert the
seed into oil. They make an oil that is
little inferior to olive oil. An acre of land
will produce sixty bushels of seed, and
each bushel is equivalent to gallon of oil.
The flower yields the best of honey, and
besides being the prettiest thing in the
state it can be made very useful.
The women wear them for corsage bou-
quets, fill vases with them for every room
in the house, paint them on china for the
dining room and on lambrequins for the
parlor. The emblem of the state is found
all over the house. The children make
gum of the wax that accumulates on the
stalk. The maiden who wears them in her
hair has lover who wears the badge of
sunflower to denote his patriotism. and the
old folks love their brightness while con-
demning their cheerfulness in sturdily
growing and blooming where corn and
oats will refuse to live.
They are the state emblem of loyalty and
patriotism. interviewer in every part of
the state history, they have furnished
theme alike for the patriot and poet. AL
bert Bigelow Paine, the Kansas poet, says
of the sunflower-and all Kansas people
echo him:
When all the sky above is jest ez blue ez blue
can be,
An the prairies air a-wavin like yaller driftin
sea,
Oh, tits here my soul goes sailin an my heart
is on the boom,
In the golden fields of Kansas when the
Sun
Flowers
Bloom.
FRANCES T, r ARSTDE