The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-02
OUR NATIONAL FLOWER.
Does the CoiCEbine Fuinn the Require
meprS

q
the United States be matter of indif-
ference. We all feel that a suita bic
national flower could not fail TO have
most important uses for which no other
form of symbol is so appropriate.
But no flower can be worthy of a
place among the cherished emblerns OF
our country which does not satisfy the
following requirements:
In the first place. the plant should
have associations connecting II closely
with matters OF deepest national sig
nifcance.
Secondly. it should be native to the
soil. growing commonly in all sections
OF the country, and be easy CT cultiva-
ton in any garden.
Finally, the blossom should have that
regularity and simple beauty of outline
which IS so nee ssary in whatever is to
be used conveniently in decorative de-
sign: and. moreover, i should be so in
dividual in appearance as not 70 be
mistaken for another. no matter TO
what extent an artist might need TO
carry the conventionalism of form or
color
The great Importance of this element
of artistic fitness becomes apparent
when it is remembered that one of the
chief uses of Il national flower is TO serve
as q motive in designs for coins, medals,
seals or other objects having national
significance.
If we are to have q national flower
which will be to us what the rose is to
England. the thistle to Scotland. the
lily to France and the chrvsanthemum
to Japan, then, assuredly, it must at
least possess those qualificatio in vir-
tue of which these emblems are SO emf
nently well-fitted for their purpose.
Every one of them meets most perfectly
the conditions we have named. Unless
our flower shall equal them in this re-
spect, it cannot bear that compa rison
which our choice will certainly chal-
lenge.
Tested by such criteria, how few of
those flowers which have been advocated
for our adoption do we find TO possess
to any considera bic extent these most
important qualifications?
Only one flower, so far as the writer
knows, fulfills all the above require
ments and of this, as we shall hope to
show, it may be truly said that, wheth-
er we consider its wealth of symbolism
with regard TO things American, its
aesthetic qualifca atoms or its horticult-
ural possibilities, it has the highest
claim to be called Columbia s own flow
er-we mean the columbine.
The appropria teness of its name does
not depend upon trivial play on words.
in his native language the name of
Columbus, as is well known, means
dOve-a circumstance full of poetic
suggestion when we recall how he,
like Noah's messenger of old, brought
back the tidings of new-found world.
Where in boyhood Columbus heard
The tall pine forests OF the Appenine
Murmur their hoary legends of the sea-
there grew abundantly that beautiful
flower which, to the fancy of those who
loved it. recalled the group of doves so
tenderly portrayed by the older paint
ers. and therefore they named it colum-
bine. Wen might this flower remind
us, not only of the man whose faith
opened our shores TO Christianity. but
also of that noblest of our ideals of
Christian nationhood learned from the
Prince of Peace who said: BE We
harmless as doves
Yet in that wisdom likewise enioined
must we hold and defend our posses
sions as an an eagle its nest. Recog
nizing this truth as we do, in the SYM
bolism of our coat of arms. it is singu-
larly appropriate that this same flower
should have also an aquiline signif-
canoe
Whatever NAV have been the origin
of the name aquilegia, by which our
plant is known in the botanical and
horticultural worlds the fact remains
that for many generations il has been
associated in the minds of those who
used it with the Latin aquila, an eagle,
because the incurved spurs of the flow
r,which TO others resembled the grace
full necks OF doves, to the early botan-
lists suggested the talons OF an eagle.
Surely there can be no filter symbol of
our countrys attitude toward other
nations than one in which the type
of inoffensiveness appears combined
with the type of fearless power.
Still another symbol, than which
none is dearer to our country, is the
fve-rayed star. Whoever looks into
the heart of a columbine sees this form
by the contour of the flower
in rare and perfect beauty.
Finally. if one of the petals be sepa
rated from the blossom OF short
spurred variety it will be seen to have
a singularly close resem blance to the
Phrygian liberty-cap: while il we have
instead one of those long-spurred kinds
so Characteristic Of our fruitful western
lands. the petals most strikingly sug
gest horns of plenty.
OF the varieties most in favor, even /
in Europe, a large share are Of Ameri- /
can origin. Among these strictly |
4 merican sorts there are already avail |
a bic choice varieties having the flowers |
red. pure white or OF IN exquisite ceru- |
lean blue-that color 50 rare among /
besides these national |
colors there are various shades of vel |
low, from delicate promrose passing |
into orange and scarlet 7; will at once /
be seen that the possibilities thus pro- /
r:ded for floral decoration by column
bines alone are truly extraordinary. 20 /
gay nothing Of the opportunities given
for harmonious combination with other
flowers
The garden colUmbiue" fAquilegia
vulgaris which we have imported from
EUROPE finds is represe NATIVE in
plant native 10 opr Rocky mountains
n ~ | TIC r.,