NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 2ol 



THE NATIONAL FLOWER MOVEMENT. 



BY 



Genevieve Doran. 



During the second century of our national independence, there has been 

 developed throughout the United States a popular movement to bring about 

 the adoption of a national flower. This is a matter of pure sentiment and 

 a question of taste, but it has led to the formation of national societies, and 

 to the calling of a national convention. 



The desire for a national flower — now so widely felt among the best 

 people of our country — springs mainly from two sentiments, which are the 

 love of our native flowers, and the love of our native land. For us, a fitting 

 national flower would bring to the service of patriotism an emblem whereby 

 our love for the fatherland would find expression through the fairest of earth- 

 ly things. If our people ever come to enjoy the benefits of such an emblem, 

 surely every true American must rejoice. 



The first society formed for this purpose was, " The National Floral em- 

 blem Society of America," which was organized at the time of the World's 

 Fair. Its object was to obtain a genuine expression of the will of the people 

 which shall lead to the adoption of a national floral emblem and a selection 

 of state flowers ; as far as these have not already been chosen. 



An entirely independent orginization, although in friendly relations with 

 the Floral Emblem Society, is the "'Columbine Association," which to-day 

 holds a leading place in the national flower movement. Its single aim is to 

 bring about the final adoption of the columbine as a national flower of the 

 United States. 



The desire to have the coulumbine as our national flower may be said 

 to have had its origin at the Columbian Exposition and in many ways is 

 worthy of consideration. It is graceful in poise, under no circumstances be- 

 comes a noxious weed, and wears an air of prosperity as it swings its tiny 

 bells from the crevices of bare rocks. It also wears our national colors — 

 red, white, and blue, — and grows in every section of our country. 



The time of flowering for the whole country extends through the spring 

 and early summer, making it available on our national holiday, the Fourth 

 of July. They are at their very best on Memorial Day, when we have the 

 most need of a national flower. From the point of view of decorative de- 



