Evening star., 1926-04-26

BY CHARLES f. TRACEE'ELL.

does not accord with some peoples
notions of flowers.
It's root Is too darn stubborn. ana
its seeds, with their fine white pappus
commonly called "fuzz). are branded
a nuisance. 1t is too bad the dandellon
does not amend its pernicious ways
Some one ought to speak to II. or pass
law restraining Il.
| The children, however. are well
content with their dandelions. which,
by the way. get the common name
from the French. dent de lion. lions
tooth. They go right ahead picking
them. making funny whistles out or
the stalk and blowing away the seeds.
Their elders, too, find use for the
humble dandelion. We will pass over
the misuse of the plant to make So
called dandeliOn wine (which we have
heard is NOT so bad. at thaD, and go
on TO it's medicinal and food uses.
The milky Juice extracted from the
plant Is used as diuretic and altera-
tive. The root has been used to
| adulterate coffee. and also has been
used to adulterate chicory itself. which
Is the common adulterant.
Speaking OF the national drink 1--WE
believe statistics give II that position).
II Is interesting to recall that recent
dispatches from Paris declare that
experts there prefer chicory. asserting
that 1t gives certain flavor not OBJ
tatr'ble from pure coffee.
Whether this Is true we are not
in position to state. Certainly any
substance which adds to the bitter
| element already In coffee must be
viewed with suspicion.
Boiled and eaten as greens" the
dandelion holds a peculiar place in
the affection OF Americans. 1t is
supposed to 'be good for what ails
YOU" and many persons profess a
| fondness for II. Once II was looked
upon as peculiarly the dish of the
poor. hut recent studies in nutrition
have given all succulent vegetables a
higher place in the esteem Of rich a nd
poor alike.
A hiographcr Of Zoe, detailing the
| destitute circumstances Of the little
| family. narrated the picking Of
dandelions as showing the depths to
which the family had sunk financially.
That was in lS45.
Today the dandelon stands higher
in respect. No one can excite sym
pathy now by going out on the town
lot and picking themselves a mess"
Of dandelon greens"
To us. however. the beauty OF this
| flower Is It's hest excuse for being.
| All little things that lie close to the
earth are friends of ours. That is
| one reason why we like the grass, the
most beautiful thing in the garden.
The color Of the dandelion is glow
| ing. reflection Of the sun. Good
| vellows are none too common in
| fowers-it behooves us to cherish the
| dandelion. and even more 30 the but
| tercup. whose yellow is more glow
| ing. with it's velvet sheen.
| Proud on It's flower spike shall
| f1aunt the glodiolus. sought NJ many
winging hummlng bird. The rose
| shall nod on its stem. and the violets
| lie like reflections Of the sky In the
green mirror of the grass.
In the border the noble zinnias,
! friends to man. shall poise their red.
orange and pink beauties in every
swaying breeze. as the morning
glories swing on the fence.
Every thing Of beauty shall he
loved. but at the same time the
humble dandelion shall not he forgot.
II would give all the wealth In the
world for one touch OF human ma
ture," said the dwarf.
So he II with flowers.