The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-03-03
PRESERVE THE FOREST
FLOWERS
by Prof. John r. Smith

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of their colors and their fragrance.
This means that the time is near
when great many people here at Be
rea-students, some faculty folks and
others-will be tempted to 20 out in
to the fields and forests and bring
back handfuls and armfuls Of flowers
to give to friends and make bouquets
for dressers and tables.
There is no special objection to
flowers and bouquets. The person who
does not like flowers certainly is lack.
ing in appreciation Of the beautiful
But there is objection, very serious
objection, to anybody whether he be
student or faculty member who goes
into the College forest and deliberate
ly gathers quantity Of wild flowers
or ferns and brings them into Berea
merely for the sake of having them
or giving them away. And il is by
no means desirable to go to any spot
within walking distance of the cam
pus and gather large quantities of
wild fowers-unless il be violets or
daisies.
The forests near us contain a great
many early spring flowers Bluets,
dog-tooth violets. blue, yellow, and
white violets, wake robins and other
trilliums, anemones, lady's-slippers,
both pink and yellow. shad bush or
serviceberry, dogwood, bird's-foot,
violet, or mountain pansies, jewel
weed, wild geranium, sweet william,
spring beauties, bloodroot, liverwort,
wild columbine, buttercup, wild pink.
arbutus, mountain ivy, marsh mari
gold, fleur-de-lis, and numerous
others abound.
These flowers are part of the
scenery among the hills and fields.
They belong to the forests as much
as the trees and high cliffs belong
there. They are the common prop
erty of all who go to the forests,
but they belong to no individual IN
particular. They are there TO be
looked at by those who appreciate
flowers; they are not TO be gathered
and brought into Berea by the hand
full and armful. They add greatly
to the joy Of a trip thru the forests.
and portion of this joy fades away
with every flower that is pulled and
brought away. 1t may not fade for
the one who pulls the flower, but It
certainly does for those who 20 next
and find that flower missing. They
know that part of the glory of the
woods has gone.
For many years numerous people,
both students and faculty folk, have
made it a point to gather great
quantities of bird-foot violets (moun-
tain pansies) and lady's-slippers
wherever they could find them. The
result is these flowers are becoming
exceedingly rare. Once they were
plentiful in nearby places, but only
a few garden spots remain in walk
ing distance of the campus. The
lady's-slippers are easily destroyed
by pulling the flowers. Unless these
are protected, they will soon become
as scarce as the arbutus, which was
abundant in places in days gone by,
but the hands of jealous flower seek
ers have driven that far away.
Some Of these seekers go to Lees
Knob, some to the cemetery, some
to Twin Mountain, some 10 Indian |
Fort and the Pinnacles, others to the /
land of the reservoirs
flowers can be found, and are not
always careful about the number
they gather. When they do this,
they rob someone else of much Of
the Joy of a walk to these places.
One Of the most commendable
things that could happen this spring,
or any other reason, would be fair
everyone to resolve that he will use
every reasonable means TO preserve
the forest flowers. Springtime and
summer and early autumn bring a
wonderful variety to the forests and
fields. They belong TO all.
Blue violets and daisies may be
gathered without doing much damage.
The violets are hardy, and the daisy
will become a pest If allowed to grow
at large. But the lady's-slipper, the
service, the mountain pansy. and the
others should be respected.
Let everyone go and find where
flowers grow, but let him not destroy
them. They help make the glory of
the hills, and that glory should never
be destroyed.