Plea for the Conservation of Wild Flowers. 201 



flowers propagate mostly by seed ; in order to insure re- 

 production they bear these in large quantities, but with a 

 low percentage of germination. These few fertile seeds 

 must escape destruction by fire, birds, rodents, insects and 

 grazing animals before new plants can be produced to 

 struggle on to flowering maturity. All of these deter- 

 rents are normal ; when the human element of destructive- 

 ness is added, the end is in sight. 



Cultivated plants have the advantage of protection, 

 care, and assistance. They are gathered more sanely and 

 no such destructive manner of picking would be tolerated 

 by the enthusiasts who pluck up wholly immature plants 

 in the field. As stated, the aesthetic duty of wild flowers 

 is to attract — in the fields ; there they should be enjoyed 

 and allowed to remain for the enjoyment of others. They 

 do not serve as "cut" flowers nor lend themselves to in- 

 terior decoration, since they wilt quickly and are individu- 

 ally small. Their principal effect and glory is in masses 

 with the landscape as a setting. To gather them is to 

 waste. 



A few years ago the hills, seen from any point on the 

 bay, were gorgeous beyond description in their spring 

 coloring of blue, gold and red; now, with the exception 

 of rare patches, there is nothing but monotonous green 

 quickly changing to the summer browns. Real estate 

 dealers and transportation companies, instead of conserv- 

 ing the beauties of the recurring seasons, invite patrons 

 to ''come and gather wild flowers" ; the invitation is, seem- 

 ingly, interpreted as a command to- uproot everything in 

 sight. 



We at home are slow to see or appreciate the damage 

 done; good observers, from without, see and have given 

 warning. In February, 1910, Caspar Whitney wrote as 

 follows in Collier*s Weekly: — 



"Fifteen years ago California had acres upon acres of 

 those beautiful flower things, the wild poppy, commonly 

 found only in that other sunny land, Italy. Even ten 



