Evening star., 1914-04-12

strikes Tho vhite-bosomed field and then
i'm the far corners a succession of snSht
depressions begins to travel toward one
like the waves of the ocean. One looks
between the crests and sees the tan
stems and long angular leaves rich IN the
dark green of a healthy growth
After a bit the breeze fans the face and
a the same instant the sense OF smell
encounters vague sweet perfume. Its
fragrance almost takes the breath away
Then it is realized upon what you are
gazing. that you have seen the Easter lily
upon its native heath There is no green
house that can produce such sensations
by artificial climate. for you have inhaled
the fragrance that nature gives OF only
through a healthy, unrestrained growth
Now. look at the map of the north At
1antic ocean Right at the intersection OF
- degrees and 10 minutes north latitude
and ~ degrees and 80 minutes west lonsl-
tude one secs a dot in the great eXpanse
of water surrounded by few smaller
dots 4 small place in proportion, but III
is Bermuda ana the home of the Easter
lily. Then a glance at the climate will
tell why such small place is the home
of that lily as much as it is the native
heath of that famed onion. why also the
lily gets as much fragrance as the onion
does its mild yet decided favor.
Only those few dots have sufhced the
Geographers to indicate the position of
the Bermudas. but there is a great deal
more to them than those few specks sus-
gest There is really an area of thirty
one square miles that is spread out over
a group of nearly 300 small islands. true
Islands OF the sea. for they are based
upon an frdestructible rock with its base
IJ.OG9 feet below on the bed of the ocean.
Four of the largest islands are connected
by causeways that nature also has helped
TO build because they are founded on the
strong roots of coral
But viewed from the sea, one doesn
see much of this strength. 1t is simply
a dark green garden sharply denned
against sapphire sky with an elevation
Of not more than $50 feet above the sea
TOO meant to protect the home Of the
Easter lily she has fortified the group
with a system of coral reefs that at
places extend ten miles seaward and
through which only the most tortuous
channels lead to harbor.
~
This is what they call the land of the
lily and the rose The reason is obvious
Out in its position in the gulf stream
$50 miles from Uncle Sans wintry coasts
nature forbids that the temperature sink
lower than So degrees in winter nor
higher than so degrees In summer. Old
Neptune smiles his blessing and places
a curb on the extreme. Vegetation is
Consequently rapid and healthy.
There are not many places where one
finds vegetables and flowers growing in
the same patch in alternating rows. but
one sees that combination in Bermuda
,re ,tx- coil
so light and black that it has no equals
in richness They produce arrowroot of
the finest quality in those fields. potatoes
that are creamy and white and onions
that have made many mouths water at
the thought of them. and between those
rows they grow that flower that has
taken its place in the world in one of
me greatest religious celebrations. 1t is
hard to estimate the number that they
actually produce, but it is said that more