The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-11-26
EXTRACTION OF WILD FLOWERS.
In Gathcring Buds the Stems should Bo
Cut and Not Hrokeu ON.

cut and Not Broken ON.
II seems that II is high time persons
OF influence exerted th lmselves to
save the Wild flower. even as II has
been necessary to check the slaughter
OF birds. for eating, or to secure their
plumage for hat trimmings. Somehow
there seems To reside In careless minds
conviction that because II flower Is
wild Il is bound to grow whether one
wants II to do so or not; while IN
very careless minds there IL present u
dcplorable sentiment to the effect that
II IL not n matter to be given a sec
ond thought II flowers do stop grow
ing altogether In woods and fields.
SO, after summing up all the phases
of tho situation, numerous public spir-
tied people got together and formed
of Society for the Protection Of Ma
tive Plants. AS means of carrying
on It's work the society proposes to
publish brief articles or leaflets for
distribution to teachers IN our schools.
to village Improvement societies, and
to all persons willing TO make cffcc-
| tive use OF them Dwellcrs In cities
clap their hnnds and rejoice when
| street stands laden with urbutus am
nounce the official coming OF spring,
and feel quite rs strong emotions oi
| 10y when nt Christmas time the streets
| smell like the heart of the Maine pine
woods. But these joys have meant, II
now turns out ruthless robhing OF
the country 70 thus add 20 the city's at
fractions. Now. though II 10 not to be
stopped it is to be regulated, or at
| least an attempt Is to be made 20 do
| this. In Connecticut laws have been
passed looking 10 the preservation and
protection Of the Hartford trailing fern
and the Maynower. two plants which
are much sought and which wholesale
+, collecting threatens 10 eXtermlnatc, at
least locally.
Although those who gather flowers
| for market do the most damage, II
| may not do a bit of harm II few
| hints on the subject fail under the
eyes of GUNNER boardcr5' and so
jourrers in all country places. To this
end there follow extracts from the
society's loaflet number one:
"The first principle that should be
urged IL. that In collecting. the How
er or branch should be cut. not torn
off. which 80 often needlessly pulls ui
the root or mutilates the shrub oI
tree, thus completely or partially pre-
venting further growth.
"Do not pick all that may be found
for flowers must be left to develoI
seeds for future generations of plants
and always cut them. never pull NJ
the plants. for the roots are of no us'
in bunch of flowers, ana their dc
struction means the total extinction o
so many individuals.
"While some plants need every pro
lection that thoughtful people can Civ
them others from their abundance o
other qualities may be picked freely
and are practically safe from the great
est inroads Of even the collector o
cut flowers for sale. wild irises, asters
godenrod are so abundant, propagat
so readily, and are so widely distribut
cd that their relative reduction by col
lecting need hardly be considered
Moreover. In these cases the roots ar
not pulled up, even If the flowers ar
carelessly picked, so that the plant
seem able to resist any conceiYabl
amount OF picking for sale or other
; wise.
"Violets (excepting the crowfoot VIC
lett. marsh marigoids or cowslips an
Houstonais are so abundant that n
harm, it seems, can come from thei
: indiscriminate picking. Field daisies
or whiteweed and buttercups, whii
not native flowers, occur in abundanc
about cultivated areas. They ar
/ charming. and their collection in tn
, most wholesale way Is virtue as we
, as a pleasure, as tending to check tn
spread of these introduced plants
! Boston Transcript.