484 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



voters. Out of 22,316 votes cast, 14,472 

 were in favor of the blue and white col- 

 umbine (Aquilegia ccerulea). No other 

 flower received over 1,200 votes. The 

 governor and the legislature seem to have 

 concluded that the children are the court 

 of last resort in such a matter and have 

 apparently acquiesced in their decision. 



Louisiana was the next State to act. 

 June 20, 1900, a bill making the magnolia 

 the State flower was read in the House. 

 July 6 it passed that body by a vote of 

 62 to 2. Six days later it passed the Sen- 

 ate by the unanimous vote of 32 to o. 



Arkansas, by legislative action, Janu- 

 ary, 1901, chose the apple blossom. 



The very next month Texas took up 

 the question. On February 28, 1901, a 

 Senate concurrent resolution was intro- 

 duced, the preamble of which recited the 

 fact that the National Society of Colonial 

 Dames of America, Texas branch, had 

 requested of the legislature that it adopt 

 "Lupinus subcarnosus, generally known 

 as the buffalo clover, or bluebonnet," as 

 the State flower. Sentiment in favor of 

 the bluebonnet was so general that there 

 was little debate, and the measure was 

 passed and finally approved by the Gov- 

 ernor on March 7. 



IN WEST VIRGINIA ALSO THE CHILDREN 

 LEAD THE WAY 



In West Virginia the subject of an of- 

 ficial State flower had long been a theme 

 of discussion among teachers and others 

 interested in school work. It did not 

 take form, however, until 1901, when the 

 Governor in his message to the legisla- 

 ture recommended the adoption of a 

 State flower and suggested the rhododen- 

 dron, or big laurel, as the most appro- 

 priate. 



Under the direction of the State Su- 

 perintendent of Free Schools, the school 

 children of the State, on the 25th of No- 

 vember, 1902, voted upon the question of 

 a selection. Out of 33,854 votes cast, 

 19,131 were for the laurel, 3.663 for the 

 honeysuckle, 3,387 for the wild rose, and 

 3,162 for the goldenrod. On the 8th day 

 of January, 1903, the legislature adopted 

 a joint resolution designating the rhodo- 

 dendron, or big laurel, as the official State 

 flower. 



California had long been advocating 

 the enactment of a law making the golden 

 poppy the Golden Gate State's official 

 flower., More than fifteen years ago a 

 bill was introduced in the Senate and had 

 passed both houses, recognizing the yel- 

 low-hued beauty; but the Governor ve- 

 toed the measure. The House then 

 passed it over his veto, but the Senate 

 permitted it to die. The bill was rein- 

 troduced in the next legislature, January 

 21, 1903. It passed the Senate on Feb- 

 ruary 2 by a vote of 28 to 1. It received 

 practically a unanimous vote also in the 

 House. On March 2 the new Governor 

 advised the legislature that he had ap- 

 proved the bill, and the golden poppy be- 

 came the State flower of California. 



The bill to make the sunflower the 

 floral emblem of Kansas was introduced 

 on February 10, 1903. The Senate passed 

 it by a vote of 30 to o, and the House by 

 31 to o. 



South Dakota's resolution selecting the 

 pasque flower as her floral emblem was 

 enacted March 4, 1903, and provided 

 that on and after the passage of the act 

 the State floral emblem of South Dakota 

 should be the pasque flower (Anemone 

 patens) , with the accompanying motto : 

 "I lead." 



Ohio chooses mckinley's favorite 

 flower 



The State of Ohio officially adopted 

 the scarlet carnation as its emblematic 

 flower on the 29th day of January, 1904. 

 Both houses unanimously voted for the 

 measure. The law is as follows : "The 

 scarlet carnation is hereby adopted as the 

 State flower of Ohio, as a token of love 

 and reverence for the memory of Wil- 

 liam McKinley." 



Connecticut chose the mountain laurel 

 as its State flower after a report of the 

 Committee on Agriculture in the Senate 

 favoring such action. One senator op- 

 posed the bill, saying that he regarded it 

 as unnecessary legislation, but that if the 

 clover had been recommended he would 

 have been inclined to favor it as the near- 

 est approach in this country to the sham- 

 rock he loved. He doubted, however, if 

 there was any necessity for the legisla- 

 tion. Another senator declared that he 



