Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-19
The Culture of Flowers
By Frederic j Haskin

nearly all standard perfumery. This
article was first found floating on tho
surface of the sea or lodged upon the
shore. Just how It became connected
with the manufacture of perfumery is
unknown. but It has been employed in
that industry for centuries. only re-
Gently has its origin become known.
1t is nothing more than the morbid
secretion of the liver of a sick sperma-
ceti whale 1t is described as being q
waXy substance disagreeable TO sight
and touch, but even In its crude state
giving off a pleasant odor. 1t Is SUD
iected to chemical action to extract
the part called amberine. The largest
price on record as having been paid
for ambergris was $4,000 for mass
Weighing 1870 pounds which was found
on the Windward islands.
In New York city the Plant, Flower
and Fruit guild is doing much toward
cultivating a love of nature among the
poor and sick. This organization mas
been working for a number of years
and with little or no capital mas peeh
accomplishing splendid results. one
reason for this is because outside peo-
pie have aided the cause. The first
purpose was to systematic the distrl-
button of the flowers among the sick
and poor, but this has grown into the
larger field of endeavoring to awaken
a love of nature and of civic improve
ment among the people The flowers
come from many voluntary sources
the wild blossoms gathered in the
country being side by side with those
used at the social functions of the
-four hundred"
Another help has come from the ex-
press companies, who have issued la
bells allowing free transportation with
in a radius of 100 miles for all boxes of
flowers or plants not weighing over
twenty pounds. over thousand win
dow boxes have been distributed
among the tenement dwellers, and out
of this number only two or three died
for want of care. The number of
bouquets received daily by the guild
runs as high as 2000, and the number
of institutions which receive these flo
raj offerings are about 150 Not only
has ioy and happiness entered into the
life of the poor, but many children
have been taught the lesson of helpful
ness. In many small towns there are
gardens being tended by children for
the exclusive use of the guild.
Many queer things are to be encoun-
tered in nature. Gas can be weighed,
but the wisest scientist has not yet
been able to weigh scent. A grain OF
musk has been kept exposed in a room
to which the air has had free access
for ten years. and during all of this
time the air. though constantly
changed, was thoroughly impregnated
with the odor. The most remarkable
point in connection with this expert
ment was that at the end OF that time
the particle OF musk had not sensibly
diminished in weight.
Perfumes are claimed to be both in
furious and beneficial. In several cases
singers and public speakers have been
troubled with throat affections which
they discovered were caused by violet
perfume. 1t is claimed that as long as
a flower has any odor whatever it is
injurious, and that the violet is the
greatest offender. on the other hand
Latin writer has put on record hun
dred perfume remedies for various dis
cases. and the violet figures most
prominently in his list. Lavender is
said to be soothing, and ii is claimed
that the lavender scented sheets of our
grandmothers were splendid sleep pro-
ducers. Jasmine is said to be good as
a general tonic.
Another instance in which nature has
demonstrated her cleyerness is that of
the Spanish bayonet, which is so abun-
dant on the mountain slopes and foot
hills of California. The stalk grows to
a height of about fifteen teet, ana
acquires a diameter of from six to
eight inches. On a single one of these
stalks as many as 6000 blossoms may
be seen. These flowers are so con-
structed as to make self fertilization
seem impossible, and scientists believe
that this service is performed for the
plants by a small white moth which
makes nocturnal visits. This little in
sect goes to one flower and accumulates
the pollen by rolling it into a little ball
with its feet. Thus laden the moth
flies away to another bloom and de-
posits its load.
The department of agriculture has
made several successful experiments
with the poppy as a source of opium.
These were tried in Vermont, Califor-
mia and Texas, the best results being
obtained in the first named state. 1t
was found that morphine could be
directly obtained from the poppy. This
plant can readily be grown in the up
land regions skirting the Appalachian
range and those adjoining the Rocky
mountains The value of such an in
dustry in this country can be readily
realized when it is understood that the
annual cost of the importation of
opium into this country is over a mil
lion dollars.