The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-31

NeuliWOIlu, -. S.p nus. SVs us~
quiet little town boasts the biggest
water lily farm in the United
States. OF course it is run by \
woman, and of course the woman
is known as The Lady Of the Lilies.
Although she is q practical and
successful business woman, it
seems appropriate to call Mrs,
Helen Fowler by this poetic name.
Romance clings naturally to water
lilies and to the people associated
with them. Even the business OF
growing lilies by the acre and
shipping them by the thousand is
tinged with the picturesque.
Imagine the sturdy little woma:.
guiding her boat about the water
fields and directing her assistants
as they pick several thousand lily
buds on a summer morning. Imas-
inc her again, standing rifle In
hand tensely waiting for the snap
ping turtle, that deadly enemy OF
the water lily. When he hears no
one about, up comes his head and
crack goes the shot Of the expert.
That turtle eats no more lilies.
Imagine her surrounded by 5000
to 1000 rainbow colored water lilies
one days picking in the height
of the season-busily packing them
to be shipped to points as far as
Chicago; Portland, Maine; and
Macon, Ga. With this sort Of thing
described as routine there is no
need to hunt for/the picturesque
side Of lily farming.
There is little use asking anyone
to visualize the farm itself. 1t is
sort Of water lily heaven. There
are broad pools filled with nothing
but delicate pink water lilies, SUR
rounded by their odd round leaves
and mirrored in the still water
Other pools are given over to diff
ferent varieties.
I'm collection of this sort, almost
every corner Of the world is rep
resented by some distinctive water
lily. France has sent some Of oul
most beautiful specimens. Sweden
supplied crimson varieties. Zanzi-
bar, in far-off Africa, sent deeI
blue purple ones; Mexico and Flor
ida, some of the best yellow kinds
South America, the royal Victoria
water lily; while lo.uses of various
kinds came from Egypt and differ.
ent parts of the Orient.
All these types are raised in this
country now, and occasionally new
varieties are evolved. There are
IS different kinds of water lilies or
Mrs. Fowler's farm. Her father
originated about dozen lilies, and
she has produced six or more. =
The Lotus Of Egypts Queen.
Some of the lily ponds are lined
at the swampy banks with the fam
Gus lotuses of history and>song
The same Egyptian lotus that Cleo
patra wove in her auburn hair t.
captivate her lovers is growing il
one of these lily ponds. So huge
is the blossom that the visitor car
only wonder how the queen man,
aged to tuck it behind her ear, anf
whether after all, the effect could
have been really coquettish. There
is no question, however, of the
Egyptian lotas being enchanting
in its water home. The stalk rises
&c or Z feet above the water ant
ends in an upturned blossom shad
| ingNfrom creamy white to carmint
red.
The pink Japanese and Indiar
1otuses, which bloom on shortel
stalks, are planted in front of thes,
tall Egyptian lilies. To see th'
lotuses blooming in profusion is t.
understand why almost every orr
entail country has Nuccumbed to thu
spell of the water lily.
For centuries the Buddhist ha
repeated in his prayers, 20, tn,
jewel in the lotus flower" TIL
Egyptian sculptor used the lotus al
| a favorite design in his tempt
! carvings. The Greek poets knew
it as symbol. of the alluring in
dolence of tropN islands. We hav
an American lotus, a beautiful pal
yellow variety. that grows wild il
the country, and that only wait
for some poet or philosopher t
immortalize its charm.
Further along the way are tn