The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-12-21
NATIONAL FLOWERS.

That many Of our states have adopt
ed the pretty custom of selecting flor
al emblem. in i'm tation oI foreign
countries, is a fact not generally
known.
The national emblems Of the different
countries were chosen on account of
some tradition or legend dear to the
hearts of the people. notably so in the
case Of England, Ireland. Scotland and
Wales.
The rose. the emblem of England, was
adopted in the fifteenth century. After
the completion OF the Wars OF the
Roses" and the union OF the houses Of
Lancaster and York by the marriage OF
Henry VII. and Elizab beth Of York. II =
stated, a rose tree growing In the
grounds CT a certainmonastery in " 49,
shire, England, which had previously
produced roses both red and white,
began 10 bear roses whose pstIls
We're yariesated red and white,
which variety has since been called the
York ana Lancaster rose. says the
Ladies Home Journal.
OF several legends regarding the love
OF the Scotch people for the thistle the
following is the most interesting The
Danes are said TO have been creeping
silently one night toward the Scotch
camp Notwithstanding the fact that
an attack at midnight upon an enemy
was considered as a most disnonorable
act, when one of the soldiers set his
bare feet upon a thistle. Forgetting
himself, he uttered a loud cry, when
reused The Scotch sleepeTS. Who tmmedI-
ately fell upon their enemies, routing
them c0r-'letelv.
shamrock, was, II is alleged. made use
or by Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron
SAINT, 10 illustrate the mvsIery uf the
Trinity, and thus became the symbol of
the Irish people.
There is an ecclesiastical tradition
ooncerni'g the choice of thu lrek by
the Welsh. TO the effect that when the
Britons were under the command of
King Cadwalder. Saint David COM
manded that each soldier should have
leek In his bonnet. AS they defeated
the Saxons upon that day they have
adopted the habit of wearing the leek
on the recurrence Of the anniversary |
OF the conflict
AS the Greeks were tabled to have
originated i'm Ionia, il seems appropri- |
ate that the violet (Greeb IJaI, whit, |
was thought by them to be a talisman |
against eYll, should be selected as their |
distinctive flower Modern Greece has |
no emblematfc flower. The olive fig |
ired largely in the celebrations of the /
ancient Greeks, while today victors i'm
he Olympian games are crowned with
yreaths OF laurel.
Italy has adopted no floral emblem
Though the love of the people for
queen MarghGita has made the flower
7 That name general favorite with
he Italians,
Nelthe" Germany nor Prussia claims
ny flower as an emblem The oak tree
!. the favorite tree OF Germany. as II :
thought to symbolic the strong
lsged German character Wilhelm 7
as particularly fond Of the blue corn
over, which has made il popular with 4
le German neople
IT has been said that the Fdelveiss
the distinctive flower OF Switzarland +
NJ as II is found in other localities II
IN hardly Law claim TO that title. The
lplne rose. although not found AT SO
gh an altitude. is, on the contrary
stinctively SWISS. r
me tleur-de-lys, or iris is the herald
device OF the Bourbons and Of France
ld can he traced as FAR back as tbe
'elfth century. The pomegranate an
ars on the national escutcheon of g
'aln' The lotus Of the Nile. which an -
'ors IN Esyptian hleroRlyphics is the r.
folem Of that country. The mamie e
ar is the emblem OF Canada