Evening star., 1932-08-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

| classification which the average garden
er may work out for himself, and whlcn
| includes four fundamental flower forms.
These are the rose type, the bell type,
the bowl type and the wheel type.
The rose and some peonieS may be
taken as good examples of the first. IL
should be kept in mind that this Is IN
no sense a scientific classification, Dut
merely simple attempt to group noWers.
The gladiolus Is q bell-shaped hoWer,
or trumpet-shaped, in essence. scores
of the worlds favorite blossoms fall IN
this category.
The great flowers Of the hibiscus are
good example of the bowl type. WhLe
they somewhat resemble bell. there Is
a difference. mainly in the Wlder spread
of the entire construction.
| The wheel type of flower Is represent
| ed by all f1attish and round blossoms. OF
which there are many known to every
one. Many of these will come, of course,
in the classification as bell-shaped.
A fifth, or miscellaneous class, COM
prises the unusual formations. such as
the queer shapes Of iris, orchids, sweet
! peas, etc.
Nature is lavish-here as elsewhere
The moment one thinks she Is pinned
down she pops up with something diff
ferent, along the same general lines,
yet so utterly changed that one finds
it impossible to make rigid classiflca-
tiOnS
Where would you put the little jack
in-the-pulpit or the snapdragons?
Mostly the people who love flowers
never stop to think of what an i'm
portant share the shape thereof plays
| in their regard.
Offhand they would be willing to be-
lieve that most of their love for these
natural jewels, born but to fade, is
caused by the colors and, in some in
stances, by the fragranceS.
While these are basic appeals, there
! can be little doubt that more credit
ought to be given to the shapes Of
the flowers, their curious. appealing
| forms, in world where form lies at
the very heart of nature.
Natures sense Of form Is infinite.
1t may be studied In snow crystals,
all based on the number 6, and no two
out of thousands so far studied exactly
| alike.
Diatoms and other natural forms
seem to be inexhaustible.
Every passing cloud has a formation,
ever changing, ever renewing itself.
Not only are there the standard cloud
shapes, well known to meteorologists
and sailors, but there are an unending
number of forms into which the vapor
builds itself and from which it struggles
to change with every wind which blows.
Who is there who has not wondered,
with something approaching the awe
OF the Psalmist, at the infinite variety
of creatures in the world?
There are thousands of insects alone,
each different, yet each somewhat re-
sembling the next.
Looked at with the seeing eye, the
domestic cat greatly resembles the tiny
mouse; and the latter is not so Diff
ferent from the lion, after all.
Trees have their patterns
Human creations, including houses,
parks and even avenues, show a wide
mastery Of the mystery of forms.
Nature first taught man, and he has
been an apt pupil.
The enjoyment Of flowers may be
| increased by admiring them, not only
With color and scent in mind. but also
as objects of art specialization, as Gre
at1ons which pose as competitors with
statues and Skyscrapers.
Consider this pannicle Of lilac bios
SONS, one of natures unique creations.
Here Is clever utilization of habits
OF growth whereby scores of tiny flowers
are grouped to form one large flower
IN essence. The whole might be de-
scribed as of the rose type although
not round, but the individual flowers
are bell-shaped.