Gilpin observer., 1901-08-08
A BATTLE OF THE FLOWERS



August, be a field of battle The can
non roar will be the eloquence of gift
ed and learned men; their ammunition
the beautiful flowers that adorn the
earth, and the casus belli the question
as to what of all the American wild
flowers will be selected as a national
flower to go with the eagle and Uncle
Sam as emblematical adornments of
our beloved Stars and Stripes.
The sounds of the skirmishing al
ready fill the air. Away back in Bos-
ton the first hostile demonstration has
appeared. 1t comes from n society
formed few years ago for the pur-
pose of propagating and cultivating the
columbine. Now the faithful of that
band have thrown off the mask and
are seeking to make the columbine the
national flower. But the columbine
they select is the beautiful red and yell
low species that inhabit the cliffs of
the New England hills and mountains.
Colorado is at once on the defensive.
The columbine lovers of the Centen-
nial state are Willingness, eager-to
have their state flower the national
emblem, but they will wage fight to
the death with any claimants other
than those who rally around the stand
ard of the blue and white columbine of
the Rocky mountain region. To that
end Coloradoans have been preparing
for the issue and in defense of their
position will battle to the end.
The accepted battle ground, the time
and the arrangements will be in the
Association for the Advancement of
Science convention during August, in
Denver. At that time section G of the
parent body will open its meetings to
~. D.tn
of America. Then the delegates will
discuss, and by their discussion fight
out, the issue.
The blue and white columbine of
Colorado has many and earnest cham
pions. Chief among them is Profess
sor Byron ID. Halstead, professor of
botany in Rutgers College and presi-
dent of the Botanical Society of Amer
lea. Side by side with him will fight
other of the leading bctanists of the
country. In all the sbirmishing up to
this time the Rocky mountain colum-
bine has the lead in every way. All
that is required to make the assurance
of victory complete is the rallying of
Colorado fighters to the standard.
Professor George l.. Cannon of Den
yer probably knows more about col
umbines than any man in the country
He has lived with them, studied their
habits and fought for them. He is at
the head of the army who will battle
with the eastern enemies. Up at Boul-
der the other day he was told OF the
coming battle.
"The movement for the adoption of
the columbine as our national flower,
said Professor Cannon, perhaps had
its inception in this state, although
am not certain that those whose desire
the selection of the columbine have in
mind the species that has been selected
as the state flower of Colorado-that
is, the Aquilegia coerulea or the blue
and white columbine of the Rocky
mountains. 1t is not impossible that
they have in mind the pretty red and
yellow columbineN of the cliffs of New
England
During the first years of the last de-
cade several states adopted (Senerally
by the votes of participants in Arbor
Day eXercises) some favorite state
flower as state emblem. Following
this example, N. b. Coy, state superin-
tendent of education, asked those tax
ing part in the Arbor Day exercises of
1891 to cast ballots for state flower
and return the results to his office. AS
one of the few that had given any con-
plants of Colorado l was asked to
make number of public addresses
on the more important plants of the
state and to prepare an article on the
same subject for the state press.
IN our choice we were troubled by
an embarra ssment of riches. Dozens
of species of Towering plants would
have made suitable emblems in state
less blessed in floral riches. Notwith-
standing the abundance of candidates
one plant was prominent in the minds
of nearly every one for its grace of
form, beauty of coloring and for its
wealth of associations. OF the total
number of votes cast and received by
Professor Coy there were 1i,4I2 for
the columbne. Its nearest competitor
was the Marlposa lily, 1.157 votes; for
the cactus, 1927, and for the yucca,
9G9 votes"
Professor Cannon probably did more
by his eloquence and his reasons for
the selection of the columbine than
any other inducement, including the
perfect appeal of the beauty of the
flower for its selection. His first argu-
ment was to demonstrate that the blue
and white columbine grew only in the
Rocky mountains and therefore was
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We are now hearing good reports,
says Field and Farm, about the yields
of winter wheat when sown on land
fertllized with sheep manure from the
feeding corrals. In Otero county one
man harvested n splendid crop of
wheat from Il field of forty acres
which yielded fifty-iive bushels an acre
and of excellent quality. Much Of this
fine yield is due to the fertilization Of
the sheep pens. 1t is his lnveriablc
rule to plow the ground Immediately
after the wheat is removed to the
thresher This opening up OF the soil
to the sun and air increases the yield