The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-12
THE MOUNTAIN LAUREL.

Save the State Flower of Connecticut.
 As the season approaches for the bloom of the beautiful mountain 1au- rel it beh ooves the inhabitants of the state to enlist their efforts to pre- serve this flower from destruction by vandals. All winter these green bushes have been cut and shipped to the cities for Christmas decorations and in the spring for Easter ornamen- tation in the churches and in early summer they will be pulled up by the roots and transported with the flow CTS in full bloom.
 The beautiful hillsides and noun tains of this state will soon be bereft of the greatest floral attraction of New England.
 Connecticut has always been cele- brated for it's beautiful laurel and the exquisite blossom has been made the state flower. The mountain laurel is called by botanists Kalmia Latifolia. in honor of the Swedish traveller, Pe- ter Kalmia, who was born in 1715 at Angermanland, Sweden, and who was educated in the universities of Afbo and Upsala and who died in 1779. He was a. friend of the great Linnaeus, who recornmender him to the Swedish government in 1748 to be sent to North America for the purpose of making investigations in natural his- tory. He remained in this country for three years, and returned to Swe- den and published in three large vol iunes the result of his researches. Among the many things of great bo- tanica1 interest, he discovered the mountain laurel which was indigenous to North America. The mountain laurel should be saved from vanda1- ism, becausea it is one of the most beautiful native flowers in America and because 1t is fast disappearing from our hillsides, and especially be- cause it is the state flower of Connec- tieut. The best way to preserve the mountain laurel is to create strong and healthy sentiment among the people in the state to prevent it's de- struction through vandalism and com merciaIisn and ruthless picking. When a proper sentiment is created in the state as to the beauty of this lovely flower there viii be no difficulty in en- acting a law by the legislature forbid ding the wholesale shipments of our state flower to cities. by the carload as at present is done for commercial purposes.
 if the men in Connecticut will lend their influence towards the attain ment of the great object of the pres ervation of the mountain laurel, their work will be supplemented by the wo- men of Connecticut whose influence in matters of this kind has always been potent. If the daily press throughout the state would urge up- on the rural communities the necessity of preserving this native flower much good will be accomplished by this powerful agency. With such a com bined movement this beautiful flower will be saved from destruction and the people enjoy the radiant beauty of the mountain laurel in the future as our ancestors have in the past. For the sake of the children of Connectf- cut this flower should be preserved and it's preservation will add enjoy ment to their lives and create in them a sense of the beautiful.
 Let the campaign of education be started at once and thus save the nat ura1 beauties of our hi11sides and make New England in the future what it has been in the pasta veritab1e panorama of natural beauty.