The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19
C%OLUMBINE, OUR FLOWER.
MOVEMENT TO MAKE 1T THE Ma
TIoNAL EMBLEM.

The Singular Fitness This BIossorn HAS fer THE
Reauirementa or y National Fl"Wor-hts
ahnpr, Its Color. Hts HHiStorS Seem 20 ne
EmblsunatIc or the Career or the Country'
Since the Columbino Association was started
IN Bos.na 10 bring about the official adoption OF
the onlumhino as tho national flower OF the
United Statos interest in tho movement has
been widespread. Many Americans, Including
artists, writer's, horticulturists and botanistsS
have indorsed this candidate for the national
| flower. and the thousands of members OF the 40
ISOLATION have boon drawn from every state In
tho Union. 1t ia expected that the membcrship
will soon be sufficiently largo TO memorialiEo
Congress and present a petition which shall
urge tho formal recognition of the 80
an emblem Of the nation.
The President Of the Columbine Associations
ia Frederick Le Roy Sargent Of Cambridge
Mass, formerly teacher in tho summer course
in botany of Harvard University and instructor
in botany Of tho University of WisconHin. He
addressed the Massachusetts Horticultural So
ciety in Boston recently on Tho National
| Flower Movement" and copies Of this lecture
will soon be distributed among prominent and
| influential persons throughout the country, In
| Guiding educators and members of Congress-
This being the nrst attempt to give a full aos
count of the history of tho national flower move
| ment, It is believed that its wide circulation
will be Of use in correcting misrepresentation,
| meeting objections and showing the reason for
the faith that Is In the members Of the ColumS
bine Association. In q lotter received hero Mr.
Sargent says:
''Tho progress OF our movement to secure the
| adoption of the columbine as Columbia'sl 5mN
blem Of peace and power cannot fail to DO great.
" influenced by tho present war with SPAIN
II ever q war was undertaken by a great people
In the inter ests OF peace 1t is this one, and when
1t is over we shall not value peace less, but
moro. The %columbine, with Its plain suEges.
ton Of dove and eagle, stands pro-eminently FOG
the peace that makes for power and tho power
that makes for peace As surely, therefore, ao
we believe In the triumph Of our Just cause in
this war. so are we confident that our country
Sill soon b, SSScs cDn f Hd . its f,oTSi . SmSlsm s3 CoS Sn1y
bias attitude toward the world"
Mr.. Sargent advocates tho columbine because
" Il It's should e%isS BE- q native Of the unitod States and
should grow Wild over the creator part Of itS
national holidays, should be capable. Of easy
cultivation in any garden, and should moi, be
S E TfSa IT It III 5ho SnE T bSy0f oH %Sst in Or the SSr Popals g
sense is called a flower. and SHOULD not be meree
fruit 4 tO nnS s RtShitd G lend SnG it SSlGn Esa Ghiyo to if Gor ~
dee9ration BY variety and purity Of color and
teristic Of its form should combine such sima
plioity and gracefulnesD that whom used conf
may SS fSesdily fseosniSod rC iaddepenaen dtiS"o q
its color. u should bo a flower which has
a .Soir i SSS1 o %sSd 0s and any not s'h such pS . sow 81
in general form, It should posseSs, II possiblea
P %ith the b sssoG faT Which plenty onr oS SSnRSo'l SRSsnd y
amSng the petiong Of the world; ..-
urge that this country needs q floral emblem
comparable to those OF other great nations, be.
triotic associations in a way that no other form
OF SpS sm 1IGniac could s 90; snd % " bS. thus 20 Sdd aS a n nS.
tionai art and architeoture, q new symbol to
our national literature, and a now source Of en-
days. since the time Of the Columbian EXPO
sition the need Of a national flower has boon
osPnsS rp sh. mSrS eSo1 WITH felt th by s aI TsS aav Of CON pS:
triotic sentiments, and there has been an in:
s shSsas5RIs sBR5ss so 81 Gof Gf aei S1 snSlsm fitness Of
While the columbino is never, a weed. but.
%N Na tas %cGsH oWsFys. Il one sHeS 9s 1 Hild oh i% c ons OF of s sno
other Of its various forms throughout the land.
C cSI,,Hhtton ar. Srs' a %oT srCOf I Da5t'isHlfiT n rs easy e
o o9n seu They are are in full ~ da bloom on tS our
viii II Be- to HSrp iSiiy equal 70 ro.es IN dnrsbi IL.
arc NSr, SSmOP Rs, ths most no. ]nS TSnderf Halo flow rs5' H IN the
pie. and various. notifications and combine
ties to horticulturists and floral decorators.
No other flower can possibly have such .
meet the % coSiHnSmriSSifnaSe with our own a. country and
people. The name ~columbine. which at once
s sSass' q the ds'4 rsssmblsnoe y %Rioh one form p +.
flower bears to q group Of doves. the Latin for
dove being Columbus or Columbia. The namO
AQufIe0id. by which columbines are known to
botAnists and horticulturists. has usually been
connected by scholars with the Latin AQuild,
On eagle. from the circumstance that tho
curved spurs in certain forms of the flower
resemble the five talons of an eagle. Thus in the
worry names and form Of the flower are suggest
cd the symbol of inoffensiyeness and peace;
the harmless dove, associated with the thought
Of the American eagle, emblemaslc Of fearless
power. Besides this there is the significant
fact that In front Wow the outline of the blossom
those, upon the nations coat of arms. More
spurred flower is found to resemble closely .
Phrygian Liberty cap" while in the long
gpurred forms there are ample horns of plen.
ty," than which nothing could moro appropriate.
y symbolic the fruitfulness OF a land which
forms the chief granary OF the world. The
motto, e PIuribus Unum, is eXemplihed by tho
columbine leaf with its many segments, while
the lobes Of its terminal division are found to be
typically thirteen in number, like tho stripes OF
the flag.
To those who are affected by those subtlap
influences which come from the general aspect
AMI attitude o. plants, the columbino has been
the very embodiment of buoyant strength. ele-
Rance. and freedom. These qualities have eS-
pecially endeared IL TO our poets. who have given
1t q worthy place in American poetry. Surely
no other American wild flower Is more widely
beloved by those who know the beauties of our
woods and fields, and probably no other flower
Is 30 fondly cherished by American children In
every part OF the country.