Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-15
THE POPPIES OF FLANDERS
Recognized as the Symbol Of Our
Hero Dead
Observation-Disclosures SACRIFICE
Familiar Flower Has Appealed to the
Genius Of the Greatest Poets, and
Everywhere II Calls TO- Mind the
Wages of War.

Genius Of the Greatest Poets, and
Everywhere II Calls TO- Mind the
Wages of War.
In Flanders fields the peoples blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place."
"lmmortaliZed by q soldier-poet,
himself buried in France, Flanders
poppies already are symbols of the ma
tion's hero dead Of the World war"
says a bulletin from the National Ge-
ographic society.
Now the poppy IS to cover q semi
official recognition by being planted In
government parks Of the nations Cap
ital as perenniel memorials to the men
who sleep under the crosses and pop
pies Of Flanders.
ITO examine the poppy Is not to
violate its new found sentiment, for
1t unfolds its glories under closer
study. Moreover 1t has q symbolism
unexpected because Of the pure acci-
dent Of its association with Americas
| SacrlnceS Tor freedom.
The poppy Is thorough going Al
lied flower, found in profusion In
France, but especially popular In Eng
land because It is the only scarlet
flower In the British fora, except the
scarlet pimpernel and even that Is more
ed than scarlet.
THE poppy family (genus papaver.
in botanical terminology) hes as many
compilations and habitats as the skins
and homes Of the men whose graves
it decorates. To the swarthy African,
to the brave Australian, to the crusad-
ing Californian, and to the Asiatics
employed behind the lines, the peoples
have nodded familiar heads In friendly
welcome.
There are half hundred or more
branches Cor species) Of the POPPY
family. It is likely the soldier poet
quoted above had in mind the most
prolific one Of the most common, and
what many consider the most beauti-
full variety, the corn poppy (Papayer
Rhoeats). You will recall:
Meath the blue Of the siy, In the green Of
the corr,
1t Is there that the regal peoples are born
"a hint of the reason why the pop
py survived the soaring tramp Of arm
ed hosts and the churning Of big gun
fire on the earstwhile grain fields Of
Flanders Is given in farmers dog
gerel:
'"'when the POPPY ripens be sure the sssds
VIII stock the garden a. with weeds.'
For the same reason the poppy's
hardihood is attested in England by its
bloom along railroad tracks. by the
roadside, and in the inches Of stone
walls.
Mature provided the poppy with an
intricate and ingenious device Of q
kind which makes the study OF even
the simplest plant life a constant mar
vel end delight. It Is the village rheu-
mctic Of the flower community-eQuip-
ped with q miniature MICROSCOPE.
Long capsules contain the seeds Of the
poppy. Atop each capsule are valves,
sensitive to moisture Of the air, which
close when the atmosphere 10 hu-
mid. When the air is dry the pores
open to eject the seed upon warm,
sunny soil. - ils
"Nor is that all. Jealous horal
tribes might accuse this plant Of Pan
Poppy ambitions for expanding Its
place under the sun. For 1t Is no mere
accident that the seeds are at the bot
tom, and the pores at the top OF the
slender capsule. When the wind blows
the stems sway over wide area and
fling out the seeds for q Tar greater
distance than II they fell around tho
root.
1.-THE poppy is thoroughly democratic
in its hospitality to flies, bees, beetles
and all other insects. It invites them
by its brilliant colors and offers no
special charm for certain privileged
insects as do some more exclusive
flowers. It has no honey but provides
pollen in plenty. In part the poppy ID
self fertilizing, but plants also are fer
tilized by the pollen left overs OF the
insects feast which they carry to other
flowers.
"A characteristic of the corn poppy,
besides its brilliant scarlet coloring, Is
the large size Of its outer petals which
hide the lesser pair until the flower
has opened. Poppies in Flanders, be
they corn peoples or other varieties
are not of the oriental species from
which opium Is derived. The corn
poppy, when cultivated, Is known as
the Shirley poppy. The flower Is per-
ennial or annual, according to the var
iety.
Travellers among country folk OF
England will encounter various names
given to the poppy, such as Red Cap
Red Weed and Firefout'. The more
prosaic prefer 'Cheesebowl on account
of the shape, and even Headache be-
cause of the odor Of some varieties:
"'Corn poppies that in crimson dwell.
Called headaches from their sickly SMELL
"And another poet is more guarded
in his oleofactory comment:
".No odors sweet proclaim the spot
Where It's soft leaves unfold; -
But of all the poetic mention OF the
poppy, from that Of Burns and Keats,
down to Bridges and William Winter,
perhaps the most glowing and des-
criptive is contained in the lines Oh
Francis Thompson:
&" Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare.
And left the flushed print in POPPY there; |;
Like a yawn of fire from the grass It came
And the tanning wind puffed It to nappins
fame.
With burnt mouth red like Q lions 1t drank
The blood of the sun as he slaughtered sank.