The Coolidge examiner., 1933-05-12

III DUN TO choose national flower,
IL conducted by the American Nature
association, resulted In the wild
- polling the greatest number
ot votes, getting almost twice many as the
columblne, the nearest contender, and three
times as many as the violet which placed third
And now there is plan on foot for holding
a national referendum to choose national tree
thus giving us another symbol around which to
center our loyalty TO our country. Between
and January, 1884. the people will register their
will as to what tree has the greatest appeal to
Americans, best typihes the American spirit and
has been an important factor in our history
The result of the poll will then be presented TO
congress for whatever action II chooses TO take
In making the choice official.
1t is difficult to predict what the result will
be. Undoubtedly there will be many votes for
the elm because there Is still fresh in our memo
ries the thousands of elm trees which were plant
ed last year, during the Washington bl-centen-
NAL, in commemoration of Washington and Of
the historic elm in Cambridge, Mass. under
which he took command of the Continental army
No doubt some of the states will hope that
their official state tree will be honored by be-
ing made the national tree. But that rather
limits the choice, for there are only six which
have such official state trees or trees so char
acteristic Of those commonwealths as to be state
trees. South Carolina is the Palmetto state, but
II is doubtful If the palmetto is likely to be
the national choice. For the national tree should
be one which be found in every section
OF the country and the palmetto is found only
in the south. The same consideration may pre-
vail against Indianas official state tree, the tu-
lip tree, and against that variety of the horse
chestnut which has given 10 Ohio Its popular
name OF the Buckeye state California no doubt
would be well pleased TO have it's giant sequoias
or redwOods thus honored but there again rises
the objection that they are indigenous to only
one part Of the country.
Illinois state tree Is the oak and the oak is
found in one form or another in nearly every
part of the United States. But objection already
has been raised TO this as the national tree be-
cause ii is "hard-hearted" and such tree could
not very well typify the American people
II historic association is TO play a part in
the selection of a national tree there are in
Vulnerable individuals of several different species
which will demand consideration for their par
ticular kind.
Several years ago the American Tree associa-
ton. under the leadership of Charles Lathrop
Pack. embarked upon the laudable enterprise of
establishing hall Of fame for trees and invit-
ing citizens In ali parts of the country TO nomi-
nate historic trees in their. communities for
places in this gallery of honor. The following is
by no means complete list of those which have
been registered in the hall of fame (some still
standing and others long since passed away but
1t will give an idea of the intimate association
of some monarch of the forest with some his
tory-making event:
Washington elm Palmer, Mass, on the
Springfield Boston highway. of which it is re-
corded that beneath this tree Washington
rested and refreshed himself and delivered
short address only three days previous TO tax
ing command of the army at Cambridge"
Liberty tree, an elm which stood on Boston
Common and under which meetings TO protest
against the Stamp act and other expressions by
England were held by the patriots. 1t cut
down in 1775, while the British army occupied
Boston, for firewood and for revenge upon the
rebels
Treaty tree near Vincennes Ind, sole sur
vivor of a walnut grove in which Gen. William
Henry Harrison held a council with the great
Indian chief, Tecumseh, August 1916, 1910.
Boone's Bar" tree, on BoOne's creek a small
tributary of the Wautauga in eastern Tennessee,
which while still standing bore the inscription
carved by the noted pioneer, ID. Boon cilled A
BAR on this tree year 1760."
John Browns tree a white oak near Bark
hamsted, Conn.,. under whose branches John
Brown of Osawatomie and Harper's Ferry fame
played as a child, calling it my tree and re-
visiting it every time he returned TO the an
cestral home in Connecticut 1t Is also called the
Council tree, because of its use for that purpose
by Indians of that vicinity.
Morse elm in Washington, D. C., named for
Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor Of the telegraph,