Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-29
PROTECT AND ENJOY
Object of the Wild Flower
Preservation Society.
TO HOLD CONVENTION
MANY FORMS OF PLANT LIFE
NEARING EXTINCTION.
Something Must Be Done and That
Without Delay-Methods That
May Be Adopted.

| Written for The Evening Star BY Harold boice.
| Scientific and amateur students OF plant
| life, and, in fact, all lovers OF nature
| throughout the United States, Will De IN
| terested in arrangements now being maze
| for a notable convention of the members OF
| the Wild Flower Preservation Society OF
America. The gathering. which VIII De neio
during December In Philadelphia In con-
nection with the sessions OF the American
Association for the Advancement OF science
promises to be important and unique.
One of the purposes is to adopt. II posi-
ble a policy which may accomplish Tor
the fringed gentian the columbine, the wall
rue spleenwort, the Hartford fern anu
MANY other menaced varieties OK piants
| wbat has been done for songsters and birds
of plumage by the Audubon socletles ana
the American pathological Union.
There is diffenerence OF OPINION aions
hotanists as the best methods 10 pc Ioliow-
/ ID 70 avert the extinction Of threatened spe-
| cies of flowers. Some of the laudapie Work
dome in an effort to save certain VaIiel i
| has had an opposite enect 70 tne ~ ohs sone
| nIaces calling upon people 10 1orpear
pathering particular flowers on account OF
ffheir rarity have placed premium on me
plants. The conven.1ns . eISo to- be spirited.
Owe hotanist put up sign whlcn stateo
.hot a certain flower was almost extinct IN
the locality, and implored the PUBIC 10 10
nase # by. The next time he went 10 the
aot the legend he had nailed to q tree
Wss gone. the flower had vanlshed, ana
| written in a vandal's hand. was the an
nouncement that more specimens OF the
coveted blossom could be round IN ahothei
MACE a mile or two beyond.
One of Many Issues.
Thus, in spite Of warnings and pleadings'
and in fact, in some cases perhaps De-
cause of them. the yellow lady's slipper, the
pennywort, the yellow fringed orchids, the
heart-leaved twayblade and scores OF other
species have been made utterly to vanish
from some localities. This Is put one OF
the MANY issues to be considered.
II is likely that the Philadelphia conven-
| tion will frame and pass resolution rec
ommending legislatures IN every state TO
make compulsory a course In the pubic
schools in which children shall be Instructed
| in the species of plants that need protec-
ton.
Some of the members favor the enact
ment of state laws making the gathering or
threatened species of plants mlsdemeanor.
In Connecticut the Hartford fern is so pro-
tected Hitherto the prevailing sentiment
of the Wild Flower Society has been OPP
posed to invoking the arm of the law.
Now however, the wholesale effacement
of species over wide areas has stirred the
organization to action. The membership
has added many eminent scientists to Its
ranks and now includes university profess
sors presidents of colleges, directors of bo-
tanical gardens and herbariums and many
amateurs, artists and writer's
During the coming year lecturers are to
be sent out at the expense of the society 20
familiarize the people throughout America
| In regard to the varieties OF flowers that
should be spared.
By Law or Sentiment.
At the convention in Philadelphia it will
be shown clearly that positive action must
be taken either as a matter of law or senti-
ment If the wild flowers in the more pop
ulous sections of America are to be saved.
The reports that will be made of botanical
investigation of the vanishing or vanished
flora of certain sections will be a revela-
| ton to all who have not gone deeply into
the subject. A Philadelphia botanist. for
| example. has found that there is not a
| fringed gentian within forty miles of the
| Quaker city. Formerly. that lovely flower
| graced every suburban field. Many fine
orchids that once lent beauty to the woods
| in that vicinity cannot now be found within
| fifty miles of Philadelphia. SCOTS fern
| has vanished from the state NuttalP S
spleenwort has encountered a fate almost
| as sinister, that fern now finding foothold
l. on the rocks of the SusQuehanna, below
! Safe Harbor. The oak fern and the beech
| fern have been exterminated in all the
| region round about Philadelphia, the near
| est plants now being one hundred miles
| from the city. similar determination has
| desolated fields in the neighborhood of
| many other American cities.
What lends peculiar interest to the cru
SADIE for the preservation of these wild
| flowers Is that 1t is purely esthetic. The
movement Is backed by several wealthy
| patrons, notably Miss Olivia Phelps-Stokes
| and Miss Caroline Phelps Stokes of New
York city, but there is no economic pur-
pose served in the movement In fact, that
alone, the members of the organization
| believe is the secret of it's possible sue
| cess, for no sooner could 1t be demon
| strated that any variety of wild flower was
| valuable for It's perfume or medicinal dis
| tillation than it would straightway be
| doomed.
| Nearly all the rare blossoms now threat