The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-18
rnE rhr1orAr moKrR
Ths Movement to MAIZE the ColunhIne Our
EuhISn-

Advance sheets have been received hero Of
a pamphlet containing an address on The
National Flower Movement" recently deliy-
cred before the Massachusetts, horticultural
Society in Boston by Frederick L. Roy sar-
gent Of Cambridge, Mass. President OF the
tempt to give a full account OF the history Of
the floral movement which has eliminated in
the present endeavor to make the columbine
the national flower OF the United States. II
is intended TO distribute thousands Of copies
Of tho pamphlet throughout the country. in
Guiding educators and members of Congress.
To trace the development of the columbine
idea from its beginning. II is necessary to go
back to the Columbian year. when the search
for a national flower was being pursued with
keenest interest in view Of the approaching
celebrations. When every ones thoughts
were so largely occupied with matters Column
binn. the columbine occurred to many as
being a lower especially appropriate for CO.
lumbia's emblem.
The conviction" says Mr.. Sargent. that
the columbins was the flower OF flowers for
Columbin's emblem came independently to
several persons who made no public announce
ment. and we shall not be surprised to learn
that other original expressions OF the same
idea have been made in public besides the Eve
at present known to us. That the same idea
should have come TO SO many at about the
same time is an interesting proof OF its In
evitsbleness in view Of our allegiance to Co
lumbia. The desire to have the columbine
as our national flower NAV be said. therefore.
from its origin at this time. to have been a
direct outcome OF our Columbian anniversary.
Our method of procedure was to bring to
the attention of leading Americans represent
ing many diverse walks in life the main arEu-
ments for our candidate. and ask their opin-
ion regarding its fitness as viewed in the light
OF their special experiences. For opinions as
to the columbine's horticultural possibili-
ties we went to horttculturists; for proof Of
its artistic fitness. TO authorities on decora-
tive design. And so with the other aspects
in which a candidate for national flower
should show itself well qualified. In matters
botanical we have depended mainly upon state
ments which have come from the botanists OF
the Harvard Herbarium. DR.. .Gray's 'Synop-
teal Flora OF North America recognizes
thirteen species OF .AQuileGiG indigenous in
the United States. That there are Just thir-
teen is interesting as a coincidence. in view Of
he thirteen stripes in our nag commemorative
OF the thirteen original 81 Ates.
The territory throughout which these ma
tive ,colulnbines range embraces every State
in the Union. except, %perhaps. those, which
markably wide distribution is almost without
a parallel among our native plants. il we ex-
the whole country extends through the spring
and early summer. Thus. as win be seen.
tionai holiday. the Fourth Of July. which is
celebrated in every State. and are At their best
IN Memorial Day. when we have most use for a
1t was felt that from the point Of view Of
decorative design the colnmbine must possess
great advantages from the fact that its ma
tional assoc iations were expressed not only in
its name. but in the form and colors assumed
by the various parts. Accordingly. this as
pect of the. flower was brought TO the atten-
ton, Of professional designers and search was
ton. c. Howard Walker. Lecturer on Archi-
lecture, Boston Museum Of Fine Arts. and on
the History Of Ornament. Massachusetts In
The %columbine is the only one. of the competi-
tive flowers which Is, symbolic and can be
used decoratively in all its parts. l wish that
the public could appreciate the advantage Of
a choice of a flower which frankly shows its
Of which the parts are sufficiently simple to
be clearly defined and which also is to be
found in more than one color
We were interested in having our attention
called TO the fact that John Ruskin. in his
the organic beauty which is attained through
q well-ordered subordination Of parts. His
drawing OF the plan of the leaf is significant
also as showing that the terminal segment is
composed typiealy. OF thirteen lobes. Thus
leaflets of many forms tremendously related
would remind us of our motto. E Pluribus
Of them all. would suggest by it's subdivision
the thirteen original States. whose present.
designs taken from Illuminated manuscripts
showed US that both the leaf and the flower of
tiyes with designers, In the decorative work
Of William Norris; that prince Of modern de:
signers. We have found repeated examples OF
the columbine. figuring as a leading element
American DESIGNERS are Just beginning to
ties they have in the American forms of this
flower"
ization OF the ~Columbine Association was ef-
tected in Boston. and by sprinS the ~associa-
fairs. have been managed by a governing board
consisting OF three officers and a council OF
twenty-9ne members. In this council are
men and women competent to advise in the
various artistic. literary. horticultural. botani-
cal. educational and other questions touch
are about 5000 members, representing nearly
every State In the Union.
yanced BY the deliberations Of the National
Flower Conyention, held at AsheyilIe. y; C.,
ident, Mckinley will soon cali q, second Ma
tional Flower Congress at Washington.
br %BSfos se& E%l2siPs;" ADDS 81 n Hri tS ssr lfo% rs .l9 ms me
toned at the Asheville convention. only one
the eolqmbine-soGId meet the requirements
in a national flower, H~ence-Eand the concluo
sion r. Is neyittHP 6I I'll eGuaI q the superior
though absolutely preeluded BY 7 fatal obiec.:
iered some most valuable qualifications
Thus. as the ,~columbine, connects itself BY
| name nlSIOrlcdlly WIN columbus and the Co
lumbar Exposition. so the Maydower, by it's
name. recalls the good ship of the Pilgrims.
asters and sunfowers are remarkable. as we'll
as the ~columbine. The golden or the purple
tints Of these flowers at their best match the
columbine's pure yellow and purple, while the
lAtter's near relative. the larkspur. includes
among its colors the columbine red, white
and blue. For inoffensiveness charm and
ease of cultivation, the pansv and manv OF the
old-fashioned garden flowers have endeared
themselves as much as the columbine, and for
availability in decorative design it may be
claimed that such flowers as the mountain
laurel and the magnolia are in form hardly less
exquisite and distinctive. The valuable sug-
gestion which keeps in view our dependence
upon the trees ofthe country would be expressed
with scarcely less appropriateness by any one
of them than the columbine. their companion,
which owes so much to their protecting care,
So in the matter Of agricultural supremacy, corn.
cotton and tobacco. as sample products raised
on American soil. mgRest the same alum
dance which is symboIized by the columbine's