194 



CONSERVATION 



Grasses and sedges, picked just be- 

 fore the seed is ripe, have unhmitcd 

 decorative value, alone or in combina- 

 tion with a few other flowers. 



The coarse brilliant weeds of late 

 summer and early fall include several 

 species of asters and goldcnrods, black- 

 eyed-susan, prairic-niggerhcad, Jerusa- 

 lem-artichoke, puqDle ironweed, Joe- 

 Pvc-wecd, and boncset; they require 

 judicious treatment to get the proper 

 effect. Cattails are in the same class. 

 A tall, hcav}' vase is needed for dis- 

 playing them. All of these plants re- 

 quire water and plenty of light to ap- 

 pear at their best. The water should 

 be changed daily to prevent fouling. 



In the winter, dark green stalks of 

 thicket horsetail {Equisetum pre- 

 altum) mav be placed in a tall vase on 

 the floor or on a low taboret. These 

 interesting plants will retain their 

 natural colors without water and with- 

 out sunlight. 



Many of our wild flowers are so 

 abundant that thev may be picked in 

 large quantities without danger of ex- 

 termination. The presence of perennial 

 underground parts, the production of 

 viable seed in large quantities, and the 

 ability to grow rapidlv when estab- 

 lished are onlv a few of the character- 

 istics of these plants. Some are foreign 

 . . . having been introduced acciden- 

 tallv, or, in a few cases, intentionally. 

 Under certain conditions they are re- 

 garded as weeds. Nevertheless, these 

 plants include many of our showiest 

 wild flowers. Their use in decoration 

 should be encouraged. 



SUGGESTIONS ON 

 GATHERING WILD FLOWERS 



There is a large group of people 

 who would rather sec wild flowers pre- 

 served in their natural setting than to 

 see them carried home. A society of 

 large flowered trilliums in a wooded 

 glen is far more pleasing than the same 



plants in a crockery jar. Complete 

 preservation is most necessary in small 

 woodlots and parks near large cities, 

 where a few wild flower collectors may 

 destroy natural beauty available to 

 thousands. 



After all, there are only a few legiti- 

 mate reasons for collecting wild flowers. 

 I'lie home decorator appreciates the 

 \ase of cut flowers on the breakfast 

 table. The artist and the naturalist may 

 require specimens for study. Others 

 keep them as souvenirs of pleasant 

 joumcys afield. 



If our common flowers were picked 

 in moderation, there would be no oc- 

 casion for criticism. Wild flowers, like 

 garden flowers, should be picked 

 thoughtfully. Whether intended for 

 home decoration or herbarium speci- 

 mens, care should be taken in collect- 

 ing them. A knife or scissors should be 

 used, or else the stems should be 

 broken off sharply, to avoid injuring 

 the roots. Woodv stems should be 

 cut off closely to the flowering branch. 



One should be careful not to re- 

 move all of the leaves in picking 

 flowers from perennials. The green 

 leaves of the plant are its food factories. 

 Unless the plant can manufacture food 

 in excess of its immediate needs, none 

 will accumulate in its storage organs. 

 The next season's growth is ven- largely 

 dependent on the foods stored in aerial 

 stems, tubers, rootstocks, and bulbs. 



It should be borne in mind, also, 

 that picking flowers usuallv removes 

 potential seed. When a colony of 

 plants becomes reduced to a few indi- 

 viduals the chances for seed production 

 and survival of the colony are very 

 slight indeed. Especially is this true of 

 annuals and biennials. As an arbitrar)^ 

 rule, one should never take a flower 

 out of a woods when fewer than a 

 dozen plants of its kind are present. 



Under no circumstances should 

 wild flowers, except the most abundant 

 weedy kinds, be gathered when there is 



