The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-05-24
PRESERVING WILD FLOWERS.
Interesting Lecture by Charles L. Pol
lard Wednesday Evening

% One of the most interesting of all
q the lectures heard here this season was
given by Charles Louis Pollard in the
Baptist church Wednesday evening be.
fore large audience. The subject of
the lecture was Past Present and Flu.
turc Plant Protection, and Mr., Pol
lard handled his subject in a mastery
fashion, A feature Of the lecture was
the showing of the famous Van Brunt
slides made from hand colored photo.
graphs Mr.. Pollard was introduced
by Glen c. Gould and began his lee.
ture by mentioning the work that has
been done by the bureau of forestry to
preserve the national forests from TO.
tai destruction. He then told of the
work that has been done by the Flower
/ Preservation society. In some parts
/ of the county. especially near the
thickly populated districts, it is almost
/ impossible to find certain species of
wild flowers which formerly grew
abundantly, on account of the zeal of
collectors and the ruthlcssness of peo.
pie in picking from the stems all the
flowers they are able to find. In some
sections of the south medicinal herbs
have been gathered for their market
value and sold until portions of the
country has been denuded Of the fora
of the medicinal sort and it has be
come necessary to substitute cheap
chemical connections in their places
Many insects which have for their
food certain herbs and wild flowers
when deprived of their natural food
turn their energies to domestic plants .
with destructive results.
The most potent destrovers of wild
flowers are people and forest fires.
The advance of civilization demands
room and it is necessary to sacrifice
natural beauty to the memorable for
ward movement but nevertheless in Sc
cluded hooks many flowers of the rarer
and more beautiful type might be pre-
served with n little care. There are
near almost every town of any size
beds of some beautiful wild flowers
which certain people pick for sale on
the streets and if these are readily
bought it causes a market which these
leople are anxious to supply. If, how
'vcr, no one would buy the punches of
wild flowers offered for sale the de.
nand would be stopped, together with
he business of selling them. Mr.. Pol.
ard mentioned q botanical expedition
conducted by a Miss Anderson of Chi T.
ago, who took a class of 80 children
# the primary grade into the country
or a days outing and to teach the
hildren to remember the flowers as
hey grew instead of seeing them
licked and wilted soon after picking
Ie mentioned in closing that the one
hing necessary for the preservation of :
he natural flora was to teach the public -
D general that growing wild flower f;
lay give pleasure to many while a st
licked flower can only give pleasure to Il
he one who picks and then for but b,
mort time. NJ
The lantern slides were then thrown
pom the screen and Mr.. Pollard gave fl
running description of each one. m
he views alone were worth going to iii
'c, Every vein of every leaf was Sd
lrefully worked out and the colorings of
the flowers faithfully followed M
)me of the most beautiful shown ia
ere trailing arbutus, marsh marigold fu
I'd several different species of orchids OF
There were a large number of chill
'en present at the lecture and they
stoned with a deep interest to the
hole talk. The cause of the preserva,
on of wild flowers cannot but be to
lped by the cooperation of the an
ildren. b