The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-17

nnioloides and It has half dozen common names.
The name california prairie grass" was given to it
IN Australia about forty years ago, because the
seed was sent to Australia from San Francisco.
They supposed 1t was grass growing in Califor-
mia, but this was not the The seed came from
Washington and was sent to Australia by some one
who shared the impression common in those davs
that eastern grasses were of no account in Cali
fornia. This impression was in the main perhaps
correct, but there notable exceptions and If the
seed mentioned had been tried here instead of be-
ing shipped to Australia it is probable that this
grass would long ago have been accmated here
instead OF being brought back from Australia as it
was twenty years later. In answer to the CORE
spondent l may say that the grass does not
keep green through the dry season, though there
are usually green blades continuously growing
during the dry season in the center of the bunch or
stool. 1t is not grass with running root and
can be easily plowed out in the dry season. The
reports of the agricultural department of the State
University show that this Bromus is entitled to
rank as one of the best grasses introduced 1t
does not, however, possess the ideal qualities for
which California stockmen have been long look
ing, for there are situations too dry it, and it is
to certain extent dependent upon volunteer seed
ing for its permanence Still il resists dronebt
wonderfully, and under moderately favorable con-
ditions the roots live from year year. This per-
ennial tendency, together with its seeding
habit, render 1t permanent and progressive in
most places in which 1t has thus far been tried.
''YANKEE DooDLE"-H. F., City. The history
of the song Yankee Doodle" is uncertain and
the name of the author of the words does not
appear in history. 1t was originally known as
"Nankee Doodle" and is as old as the time of
Cromwell, to whom, under that name, the dog
gerel words belonging to it seem to have had
reference. One writer says: "'Yankee Doc
die is remarkable as having been an old
Dutcn catch adapted to an old English chant
and adopted with consciousness or uncon-
sciousness by the American troops" An
other writer says; at is a lively and popular
tune in "a time, which has been for many
years regarded in the United States, more par
ticularly in New England as the PRINCIPAL
national air. 1t is of considerable antiquity,
having been well known in England in the
time Of the Commonwealth, and, according to
time as military air by the provisional troops
assembled at Albany in 1775 to take part in the
expedition against the Canadas. 1t became
popular during the Revolutionary War, and
has since held its place almost undisputed as
the universal melody of the country" Though
this tune is not discarded as national air, it
yields precedence to Hail, Columbia" The
term yankee Doodle is said to have been
traced to the Persian phrase "Yanki douniah,"
which means Inhabitants of the New World"
SPRING-W. N, City. According to Whit
aker's Almanack spring commenced this year
in England March 20. Times of division and
the duration OF the seasons are entirely con-
ventional and are adjusted in terms of the
monthly calendar in accordance with the local
climate. Generally in the United States and
Canada spring is considered to begin with the
LIST of March, but much depends on the locality
anu Wnat uennlu0n is placed the word
spring. One definition is that spring is the
first of the four seasons of the year the season
in which plants begin to vegetate. In Califor-
MIA plants vegetate all the year round, and
according to that definition, it would be yery
difficult to say when spring commences AS
Economically the four seasons begin at the
equinoctial or the soistitial points. The sum
mer solstice is the meridian passing through
the point where the sun touches the tropic of
Cancer; the winter solstice is the meridian
passing through the point where it touches
the trop1c OF Capricorn, and the equinoctial
points are the points at which the suns path
crosses the celestial equator. ALI these points
shift according to very exact astronomical
laws from year to year, so the precise time when
the seasons begin is matter of the incest
mathematical calculations
EMBLEM OF FRANCE-Miss K, City. The yio-
let is not the emblem of France Prior to the
revolution of 1898 the Fleur de lis was the en-
blem of France. Clovis, King of the Franks
who lived from 465 to 511, in 493 he married
Clotilda, daughter of Chilperic, a Burgundian
Prince. His wife, Christian, earnestly de-
sired the conversion of her husband, who, like
most of the Franks, was still heather. In q
great battle with the Alemanni at Tolbiac,
near Cologne, Clovis was hard pressed and
there he invoked the God of Clotilda, offering
to become Christian on condition of obtain
ing the victory. The Alemanni were routed,
and on Christmas day OF the same year, 1876,
Clovis and several thousand of his army were
baptized by the Bishop of Rheims. According
to tradition. when Clovis became Christian,
all angel brought from heaven Fleur de lis
and presented him with 1t. In commemora-
ton of the event he caused the flower to be
recognized as the emblem of the French, and
placed it on the flag OF France, pure white one.
1t remained the national emblem until the
revolution OF '9s, when the tricelor was SUBJ