New-York tribune., 1896-03-29
FOR A NATIONAL FLOWER
FRIENDS OF THE coLUMB1NE URGE IT'S
ADVANTAGES AS AN EMBLEM.

AN ASSOCIATION FORMED FOR THAT PURPOSE
THE ARTISTIC REASONS ADvANcED-AI~
LEGGED UNAvAnABILITY or
OTHER FLOWERS.
rh coumbine Association. whose object is 10
t-,,g about the official adoption OF the coiui"
nina as the National flower OF the Ohl'eu So
H.s been started in Boston. Its organization nas
.s. heen nerfected after obtaining an indorsemeh'
~ the movement from many repfeseh'a''
80 ,rc,uanp artists writers. hortculturists anu
s,ar,.,s IN various parts of the country In oruer
10 accomplish its purpose the associd''on .,o 80
IN circulate as widely as possible ih.o'
rardng the unique qualifications OF the co,D',as ns
e.. co,uub,a's flower emblem and IN o'"er "'
io' ~ 49,, ,rterest q, Americans In this drec-
., Az soon as the membership snah peoo'n
,aro. enough 70 warrant such step congress WI,
10 n,anorialized and a petition will be presen'eu
which shall urge the formal recosi' -
coIumb,ne AS an emblem Of the Nation
The officers OF the Columbine Associ"'.
,-os,,o. p,rcderick Leroy Sargent. ior'"eii!
.e,ober IN the summer course IN botany "a a'
I-n,versity and instructor in botany IN uo 49,.
.t.v OF Wisconsin; vice-president Heie" H. ,u.,.
pb u professor Of comparative phlioios''
College and secretary. James stuiss i",' -. o.
The members OF the council. whose ou's . ~ -.
-..aor Nth tho officers all matters or moment ~
,ha association are: H. p. Hartman JUS
Probate: william j. Rolfe. Lit ~ loi'"'r.y n ,..s
rrsster High School. Cambridge Mass io'
1,orrsv wellesley Hills, Mass: Mrs. +. u, Hcn-
ords hortculturist: c. H. BlacKall' VI. a., ,,.
og,aent Boston Architectural Club; MISS Eui'',
r,.rnor, Fuller librarian Episcopal 1heoioei'a'
School Cambridge. Mass. ana lns'ruo'oi ,a,a,
STATE Library School; Henry L. Clapp' piinop",
George Putnam School, Boston, ana chaii"dm "a
Corrm,ttee on School Gardens and Chiidren Iiei
...ns >.ssacbusetts Horticultural Society; Miss
II,on NJ g Child Cambridge, Mass; e. Howa'd
walker lecturer on architecture Boston "
~ Fine Arts and on the history OF oi ~,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MES H
Otis Brown. Boston, the Rev. Dr. Phiip D MoAo.''
snrnedeld Mass; Walter B. Adams BOSTON 1
,.r r Van Ieer artist, New-York lecturer o"
rt for the Board Of Education OF New ork ~
charles W. Swan, corresponding secretary ."as
cbusetts Medical Society: Miss olive May Hee''
kndereartner: John e. Abbott, attorney anu .ou
sa,,or at law: Charles w Jenks Beoioru Aa''.'
Miss Dora Williams. teacher OF natural ssu' ms.s'
Ios,o, Normal School: the Rev. Francis Tnany'
Ch-,dge Mass: Rest F. Curtis, associate pri'-
o,-~a, chauncev Hall School. and ]. William fos-
d,ck member Of National Society OF Mural Painters
ond Architectural League Of New orh' =,
Membership IN the association VIII De open W 60
~ cover the cost of printed matter sent 10 'ei
ho-s ,or use in extending the influence OF the 60
teton an initiation fee Of 10 cents Will De reau
~ ,,.rher will be liable for either dues OF aSse''
ments.
GROWS IN EVERY STATE.
friend Of the movement speaking 10 Iepoi.o
., The tribune, said ut is urged IN oehail OF 'he
u 70 .h.. Jaw Of the native plants are 80
,a.,r d,s+ributed as this flower Is IN lts 'aiiou
-. with the exception Of a comparatively sin"
r...on about the Lower Mississippi coiuiiio''es
Known to grow wild in every state OF '"o o
,-oro the Atlantic TO the Pacific ana ITO" Nan"t
"a the Gulf Even the region excepted neeu "0. w
excluded from the enjoyment OF coiu'oi'', '
oIthougb a lover Of the upands and mountains
49,. ,,.r+ .rows readily from seed IN any garoen
rd "a thus rendered universally aVailaoie as "'
flower that might be chosen
"rh. snec,al associations which this plant mas
with our country as happy as they are uli'aue
~. ,,.rv name suggests Columbia. Nor 's II any
., ~. ,.x, ynon words but a similarity OF the re-
orr.hla s,enAcance. AS is well known the ha'he
columbus In his native language means uo'
c,rcumstance Of poetcal suggestivehess On io n
,np how he like Noahs messenger OF oIo' oio"e'.
hock ,,d,nss of a new-found world. Moreover II
~ u,o, foc+ that the columbne received us
-. an account of the resemblance which ono
60, a, the flower bears to group or ooVes' i"'S
,orrn Grows wild in the region where Coiuinous VIC"
horn and also IN the Rocky Mountain ola'es' 0o
II is seen that this attribute OF the mower "hicA ~
sugeested its name may also suggest our country
discoverer and our country ''"o e ~
tions ,
"r,ortunate and remarkable also are the assocla-
,ions which cluster about the movers o'her iaine'
Acuuesia by which II is commonly known 10 oo'
nd
tho name II has been generally understood py gem
.,n w ~ those who have used 1t to be connected
,,,h the Latin aoula, an eagle because they saw
in the flower when reversed, wnat iooheo Hhe "i
ea1Ie's talons while others FOUND resenpiahce "
the graceful necks Of doves Associated WIN inc
tvne of inoffens.veness the dove is the eaeie' en-
b,ematic OF fearless power-a hitting syinooi Vi
Co,pubia's attitude toward other nations NOR Is
.h,e all the symbolism that can be traced IN the
flower A front view shows the outline to be pea9
tiful nve-rayed star. single petal OF one Oh '"e
,ong-.purred forms, significantly characteristic oi
this fruitful land, Is the very shape OF norm VI
plenty while IN short-spurred variety the re-
semblance to a miniature liberty cap Is equally
striking Finally the leaf OF the coiurnoine' pehs
made up Of many segments. exemphhes the iho''o
.E Plurbus Unum' and 1t is also noteworthy that
the lobes OF its terminal division are often founo
to be thirteen in number, like the stripes OF uie
mas AN ARTISTIC ADVANTAGE.
The friends Of the coumbine MAINTAIN that the
form OF each part, being thus fraught with Natohai
significance, must give to the artist great
IN making his designs rich in symbolism More
over the columbine flower is so beautifully regular
and s,mnle in its frankly geometric plan. and yet
40 unlike all other flowers as to be singulariy we'll
fitted for conventionaliZaton. Columbines are Ior
several reasons particularly well suited for use IN
floral decoration In point OF durability they COM
pare favorably with roses: and as TO color. there
is wonderful range and variety. Brilliant red pure
white and exquisite cerulean blue occur among
the strictly American sorts. and besides these Ma
tonal colors there are pale and golden yellows
orange, scarlet and purple. Easy Of cultivation
columbnes are within the reach Of all, however
humble. and Will yield year after year a salts
factory abundance of blossoms The wild forms are
for the most part in full bloom by Memorial Day.
and have not disappeared by the Fourth of July III
florists found IL to their interest to secure earlier
or later Towering varieties. no doubt columDines
no less than roses. might be obtained at any season
Of the year. ,, 49,. 49, .,a
spread interest Of late years In the question OF
National flower shows that people are coming more
and more to desire fitting emblem for the United
S.a,es And II we are TO have such emblem
ona which we can love and the English do
their rose the French their neur-de.s and the