Gilpin observer., 1901-08-08

AIolC ~ piCul VI tuc IllS
gestions of the color Of flowers in Ian
guage has been freely quoted in both
prose and poetry.
"What could better typify the state"
said Professor Cannon, than the col
crs Of this blossom. Its blush sepals
point to the azure skies Of Colorado; its
pure white petals to the eternal SHOWS
of the great continental divide and its
golden antlers not only recall the great
treasure vaults Of the nation locked up
in our mountain Businesses, but also
our equally great wealth, the bounte-
Gus golden haryests that we now reap
in the heart of the erstwhile great AM
erican desert"
While the old code of the language
of flowers contains no sentiment for
this our state flower, we may well ap-
propriate the motto attached to its near
relative, the purple columbine, the
words, Resolved to win," as express
ing sentiment typical of our pioneer
manhood of the Centennial state.
Although originally plant of the ra-
vines or sheltered mountain sides, bios
soming only in the open in higher alti-
tudes, it thrives in cultivation in the
rich gardens of the East as well as of
this section. A local firm has aided
greatly in extending the popularity of
this flower by collecting and selling
roots and seeds of the plant throughout
the East.
The large number of votes cast for
the Mariposa lily" said Professor Can
non yesterday, was in no small way
due to the fact that the columbine has
Il form far too graceful, delicate and
complicated to lend aid to the purposes
of the decorative artist. While the
simple tuliplike form of the Mariposa
was admirably fitted for such pur-
poses. At first decorators seemed un-
able to catch the spirit of the flower,
but the more recent efforts seem to be
fairly successful. The columbines are
members of the great crowfoot family.
which includes the buttercups, lark
spurs, mpnkshood, clematis, the mead
ow rue, anemones and the marsh mar
igolds. 1t is the member of genus of
plant found in many parts of the world.
AS n rule the native home of the col
umbine is the mountain, but they do
well when transplanted to gardens.
The colors of the columbines favor
shades of purple, blue and white, yet
not uncommon. There are the red and
yellow columbines of the rocky cliffs
of the Appalachian system of noun
tains and the golden columbines of the
southern part of this state. Coulter's
Rocky Mountain Flora mentions seven
species found in the Rocky Mountains
and to this must be added some inter-
esting forms found by Miss Eastwood
and Miss DALEY, some of which are
noticeable for lacking that characters
tic feature of the columbine genus, the
long spurs.
The columbine ranges in height from
one to three feet. The entire plant Is
found to be free from the hair which
covers most of the western plants.
Most of the leaves are found near the
base of the plant and are from two to
two and one-half inches in diameter.
The five sepals are colOred like petals
of varying shades of lilac, lavender and
blue and deep purple. In albino forms
they may be pinkish or even white.
The five white petals are prolonged into
spurs which contain at the end sac
of nectar, the quest of species of long
billed moths and of robber bees who
do not hesitate to tear open the spurs
and take the sweet fluid without rem
dering any return to the plant in trans
ferring pollen from one flower to an
other. While there are numerous
stamens there are but five pistils which
ripen in follicles and scatter their seed
by the winds shaking the slowly open
ing pods.
1.-THE columbine has faint, delicious
fragrance which is very noticeable
when the winds of the mountains
sweep the odor toward an observer
who has the windward advantage of
n group of these flowers. The names
of our state flower have the following
derivation: The generic name of aqil-
egia is from the Latin, meaning an ca
gle whose claws the spurs We're
thought to suggest. Its specific name,
coerulea, of course refers to its pre-
dominating color. The English name
is supposed to have been derived from
u fancied resemblance of a number OF
doves drinking from n common dish.
Although the general custom of select
ing a state flower by the school chill
dren of the state is generally regarded
as complete, the Legislature that met
in 1890 thought 1t necessary to pass n
bin making the lavender and white
columbine our state flower descrip-
ton perhaps not very accurate for a
color description. and as we have sew
eral specimens in this state of similar
colors, anything but distinctive one"
The monthly comparative statement
of the government receipts and expen-
ditures shows that the receipts for
July, 1901, amounted to S52320, $40,
and the expenditures $50 ,30I 800. which
leaves surplus for the month of S12,-
7JO, as against deficit for the month
of July, 1900, of Si,000,0O0. The re-
celpts from the same sources of reve-
nue. are given as follows: Compari-
sons are made with July, 1900: Gus
toms, S21 ,2G3,oG3; increase, 1,4G1 900.
Internal revenue, S2S,33S 100; increase,
ST7S,0O0. Miscellaneous, S2.7lS, 1856: in
crease, S12G,OO0. The expenditures
during the month ON nccnnnt of tho