The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-06-12
SAVE WILD FLOWERS
is ANNUAL APPEAL
Mature Lovers" Asked Not
to Despoil Woods.

W0SnlngIOu--tteIp save Tic WAu
f1owers-especially the dogwoodl Each
spring an appeal is being made to the
chivalry and thoughtfulness of the
public in behalf of Americas vanishing
and defenseIess wild flowers.
For some obscure reason there are
countless Americans of both sexes
who would scorn to attack the little
animals of the woods and fields, but
who do not hesitate to wage relentless
warfare on the flowers. When spring
trustingly sends out the most delicate
blossoms these thoughtless mature
lovers" go out to pluck, tear and cast
aside. Clumps of pale-colored bowers
that made a picture in their original
setting of grass trees and sky soon
lose their freshness when carried Off
in bouquets. Most people know this.
Yet toward the close of spring Sun
day every suburban road every street
car is strewn with wilted flowers
tossed aside by tired holiday makers.
DespoiI Spring Beauty.
These flowers might have bloomed
for another week to give pleasure to
many more people. But that is not
the real tragedy of the wild flowers.
The worst of the situation Is that in
so many cases the flower pickers are
permanently despoiling the beauty of
spring.
Take the dogwood, for instance.
This is not tiny plant to be easily
pulled up by children. 1t is tree,
generally about the size of a fruit
tree. Yet the dogwood is being E0re
ruthlessly destroyed than any other
native tree or plant. Botanists say
that at the present rate of destruc-
tiveness the native American dogwood
will be extinct within twenty-five
years.
The Wild Flower Preservation So
ciety, which campaigns every year to
save the American flowers, emphasizes
one particular plant each spring. This
year dogwood is given the spotlight
because it is so rapidly disappearing.
The dogwood tree is one of the most
beautiful trees that can be found, and
it is a native American. II once grew
in our woods in profusion, and tie
common Towering variety is still found
from Canada to Florida along the At
lantic coast and quite far to the west.
Another variety grows along the Pa
cific coast 1t is a rather sturdy tree,
resistant to disease and adaptable to
a variety of growing conditions.
When the wild dogwood blooms in
early spring the tree becomes a mass
Of white. Each white petal has dis
tinctive notch inA the edge which
makes the dogwood blossom one of
the most attractive motifs for artistic
design. The so-called blossom, by the
way, is not really the flowers of the
tree at ALL The white petals are tech
nically called bracts or the involucre.
They are only modified leaves. The
flowers are the little punches of light
green which cluster In the center of
the white involucre.
Dogwood Blossoms PerishabIe.
A dogwood tree in bloom against
background of other foliage transforms
any country road or garden. The same
NAV be said of the dogwood when 1t
bears it's crop of red berries in late
autumn. At both seasons the dogwood
branches seem to shrek, Garry me
home" to the country tourist. At least,
that is how he-or she-interprets the
message Of the tree. The result u.s.
generally, that the passer-by goes up
to the tree and tears off few sprays.
The tearing process strips down the
bark, leaving open wounds. If the
wounds are large fungus disease may
set in and the tree may die. This
happens only too often.
The Wild Flower Preservation So
ciety is urging motorists and mixers to
enjoy the dogwood on the tree, carry
away a mental picture .of 1t in all its
freshness, and leave it for others to
enjoy. If branches must be taken
home, they should at any rate be cut
clean with sharp knife, so as to
avoid injury to the tree.
That so much dogwood Is destroyed
is particularly unfortunate because the
sprays are so perishable that the cut
branches are of little use. Florists
know how to pack them in moss, but
the Sunday excursionist simply trails
along in the hot sun with the branches
over one arm, or else he lays them
down in a jolting, dusty automobile.
The white petals become brown and
crushed, and once faded cannot be re-
yived.
There are number Of wild-life pre-
serves on which the wild flowers, as
well as animals, birds, and insects,
receive protection. These shut-off
areas, each covering from 90 to 500
acres. are guarded by watchmen. to
make sure that the flowers and wild
creatures have chance to grow and
multiply unmolested