Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-13
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN

washington, D. c., Mar. 10.-The
trouble with the great army OF ma
ture-lovers, who will invade the out
doors as soon as spring is fairly under
way, in greater numbers than ever,
is that they want to pull nature up
by the roots and take her home.
They love nature not wisely, but too
strenuously. The American amateur
naturalist carries into his pastime that
same zest for bringing in the bacon
which characterizes him in business.
He does not merely contemplate
natural beauty; he gathers it, takes
it home, and decorates the parlor
with it. He presents it to his girl
and his mother. And the result is
that many forms OF natural beauty
are in danger of determination.
This is the lament of local scient-
fic men and women, who are so ex-
ercised about this increasing desecra-
ton of nature by her numerous
lovers that they have taken steps
for her protection. They have fol-
lowed the standard American method
of doing this. They have formed
national organization with chapters
all over the country, which Will issue
propaganda. This organization is
ton Society of America. 1t sets forth
with great emphasis the fact that the
hordes of people who invade tho
woods and fields from April to Sep
tcmber are rapidly destroying many
of the most beautiful towering
plants, and leaving only the homely
and noxious weeds.
The scientists assert that what
threatens is nothing less than cal
amity. In Europe. they say, nun
dreds of the most beautiful varieties
of wild flowers have already been
completely exterminated, and the
same process is going forward rapid
ly in this country. 1t requires some
historical perspective to realize how
much man has changed the face or
nature by sheer ruthlessness ana
waste The America that Columbus
discovered was nothing like the ono
that we know. 1t was a land teen-
ing with wild life. 1t was "A land OF
great forests, hundreds of feet high.
Above all. 1t was a veritable Saroeh
of wild flowers. Now much OF the
wild Iife has been destroyed and
many of the forests have been cut.
but much has been done In the way
of legislation and propaganda to save
the wild creatures and the trees The
condition of both is steadily improV-
Ing. But because they have iittic
economic value. The wild flowers have
received scant attention. AS a result.
all of the more beautiful varieties are
threatened with extinction
Fnme Destroys Flowers
Fame has been the undoinE OF
many wll0 IlOWers, pl Hi'hs N'h' :,
ago tho frinSed Sentian was ono OF
| tho commonest flowers of the North
Atlantic region. Then william Cullen
| Bryant wrote his poem about tho
| fringed gentian. 1t was a literary
( sensation of the days whom Bryant
was at tho height OF his popularity
and power, and most OF us have read
1t IN school. The Immediate result
| WIS that it became fashionable to
gather the Gentian. with the result
| that 1t IL now a rarc flower and con-
sidcred n find by naturalists. To see
| tho gentian in its natural profusioh
you must go TO the Rocky Mountains,
where n related variety lis still abund-
| ant in wild places.
The trailing arbutus Is another
beautiful wild flower that everyone
has heard about and which has been
celebrated as the sweetest flower
that grows. No nature essay is COM
plctc without at least ono reference
| TO tho trailing arbutus. The result
is that this flower is now much moro
common in literature than II Is in
| nature. In fact. 1t Is extinct all thru
New England except in few remote
spots Much of this destruction IL
wholly incxcusablc. tho scientists say
because. II merely tho flowers wcro