The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-22
OUR STATE FLOwER-A COMPARE.
SON.
SEATTLE. Nav 81

SEATTLE, May q.
To THE EDITOR: We are all interested Just
now in choosing a state flower. Which shall it
be, rhododendron or cloverf Let Us compare
the two, and choose the clover First consider
the name, the one is long and unfamiliar, the
other good, sweet, short and familiar. The rho
dodendron lacks odor, while some of our clover
is as sweet az honey-locust or mignonette, and
all of 1t is fragrant The rhododendron is found
only in the Sound country, growing in deepest
woods, while the clover is everyw here, as far up
as the snow line On our mountains, aid all
through our valleys in country and city alike
The rhododendron Is shy, very shy, OF cultiva-
ton, seldom thriving when transplanted,
while the clover pays tenfold for care and atten-
ton. The rhododendron blooms once, in the
month of May, the clover blooms all the time,
except in the winter months, and then in nearly
all parts of our state it remains green and
fresh, and is really with the grass.
the principal thing which entities
US to our evergreen name. The color of the
rhododendron is beautiful and bright, but is
confined to magenta pink In its gradations from
light to dark, while in clover we have red,
little inclined to magenta; pink, OF the rosiest
and sweetest, fragrant IS sweet peas; white, as
pure and perfect as heavenly flowers; yellow, as
bright as sunshine and a mammoth variety
carpeting the hills near Ellensburg which Is
seven-leaved, with immense flowers of greenish-
white, tinged with pink, and very fragrant.
Then, too, there is the sweet clover, which grows
along our streams dancing in the sunshine TO
the music OF running water and the song OF the
meadow lark, tossing its delicate white plumes
so gracefully aud sending far and wide il pleas
ant, spicy, pnngent odor. The objection lie made
that clover is not Indigenous TO the state but
neither are We the people of the state Still it
thrives wonderfully under its transplant
ing, as do We, claims and improves al
most every inch of orr state, do We,
and Is an actual blessing to our state, not
only because OF rs beauty, but also because OF
Its usefulness-just we modestly believe our
selves TO be. Il is urged in favor OF the rhodo-
dendron that 1t is q very aristocrat among
flowers. Fortunately the clover is not! 1t is
urged against the clover that il is too common,
and Is not confined 10 our state: but so much
the betteHt because 10 one will ever be at a loss
for its Name, as would be the case were the
rhododendron chosen, many Of Us never having
heard OF II before, more of US never having seen
II Then there are the leaves OF the clover, so
beautifully market. so variously shaded, setting
OF It's bloom tv their beauty and grace, while
the leaves OF the fhoiodsndron are stiff. IN
graceful and usually ragged. Among the clover
leaves is found the four-eaf emblem OF good
luck, and the sevs1-leaf, that mystic number
which always brings good fortune. Then hurrah
Tor the clover lovely, fragrant. graceful, useful
lucky flower Let Is al work Tor it and all
wear IL in token OF our Loyalty to our lovely,
lucky state. KATE I. HOLMES