Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1922-05-09

lPram ths Washingten slsrl

One catches giimpses IN the news al the ae,
tEilss Of the Wild Flower Preservation Society
81 AmsElsa. There Is branch al this society
y Washington, with large membership OF men
/ and women whose business is selenee, and al
meh and women who think as the scientists do
about the preservation OF Wild flowers. These neo-
pie carry on = campaign 10 educate persons need
lhg or desiring instruction IN flowers and inter
ssling them IN the cause al flower preservation.
The destruction Of Wild flowers IS a senseless
thing, II Is done either by persons who do not
even pretend an Interest ia iloweFs or By those
who only pretend such Interest These classes
seem 10 be SO numerous that az the present rate
OF dss,tuetlon- all the ANIMALS among flowers
which are conspicuous and bright and all the
Towering trees and shrubs will be gone within
perhaps generation.
The towering dogwood trees have been so
mniiiated each spring that il Is hard 10 come
upon one within miles OF Washington that Is not
mere bush, unless !, is ineased Ia the garden
OF home or guarded IN public park. The same
is true OF the frd bud or Judas tree. tree that
IS especially eolofiui aud conspicuous IN early
spring The same fate has come upon the
characteristic shrub OF this part OF the country
which old-ime folk called mountain laurel" and
which new'tme folk. when they know il n all.
esll kalma.
Afbuius has been so nearly eStinguislied that
little punches bring high prices 10 street flower
reddlers aud botanist or member of the va
rions walking clubs OF Washington who finds a
good bed OF arbutuS IN some sequestered spot
keeps the seere, very much as fisherman keeps
the secret OF place where the bass bite hard and
fast. One finds onysa poor patch here and there
Of the pink wild azaea. which once covered
miles OF country in the Potomac valley and which
eray-hared learned people. when they were chill
dren, called wild honeysueke."
Columbine. pink lady's slipper or noccasin
Hover. Indian pink. snakemouth. ragged robin,
fire pink, basque flower, purple virgins bower,
monkshood, huntsman's cup. blue lupine, eglant-
inc. grape hyaeinih, the gen,ians. downy closed
and iringed cardinal flower or cardinal lobelia
and coral honeysuekle are just few OF hundreds
OF wild flowers, common in our homeland thirty,
forty, fifty years ago. which arc now quite hard
10 find, and are generally found in places that arc
too hard Tor the average sort OF city person to
get at. Even hepatica, the ancmones. dutchman's
brceehes. meadow beauty and pimpcrnel are COM
ing to be classed as scarce" and every spring
cart loads or automobile loads and armfuls Of
spring beauty, Virginia cowslip, adders tongue
or dog-tooth violet, wild pansies. downy yellow
violets bird-toot yiolets, white vioets, boodroot
flowers, wild geraniums and hundred other
varieties are torn up. II would be a good thing
ii everybody in town would join one OF the
walking clubs. or form one OF their own, and
learn something about the trees and flowers.
Those persons who go in" for this sort OF thing
declare that it is very interesting, and it seems
TO be quite as practical and educational as many
OF the lads which attract people