Natural Science News. 



VOL. I 



Natural Science News. 



A Weekly Journal Devoted to 

 Natural History. 



FRANK H. LATTIN, Editor and Publisher, 

 ALBION, N. Y. 



Correspondence and Items of interest to the 

 student of any of the various branches of the 

 Natural Sciences solicited from all. 



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 Our National Flower. 



By Morris Gibbs. 



One of our most noticeable 

 omissions in National matters lies 

 in the fact that we have never yet 

 adopted a flower as a representa- 

 tive of our country's purity, honor 

 and individuality. This oversight 

 means so little to the vast major- 

 ity of our citizens, that the subject 

 will appear ridiculous to the 

 thoughtless. Nevertheless, there 

 are thousands of enlightened for- 

 eign visitors to our land who will 

 be shocked and wonder struck to 

 learn that our Union, now over a 

 century old, has, as yet, never 

 adopted a National Flower. 



There is but slight excuse for 

 this neglect, and we can only offer 

 as a reason, that we have been too 

 busy in defending our patriotic 

 eagle to find time to devote to the 

 sentimentality of what may be 

 termed womanish flowers. It is 

 safe to assert, that the actual 

 cause of neglect, lies in the fact of 

 our being a mixed nation, and 

 therefore, from the constant acces- 

 sions from foreign countries, we 

 have not had a sufficient period in 

 which to form an all pervading 

 sentiment. 



A year or so before our 1876 

 centenial, the question of a nation- 

 al flower was discussed. At that 

 time many prominent persons ad- 

 vanced their favorites and offered 

 their reasons for adoption, but the 

 discussion amounted to nothing, 

 and the result was a failure to 

 unite on a species. In several 



ALBION, N. Y., JUNE 15, 1895. 



agitations since 1875, the matter 

 has been brought before the pub- 

 lic through the press, but uniform- 

 ity has never been a result. 



Many advocate the golden-rod 

 as our floral emblem, and I am in- 

 clined to think that this pleasing 

 autumnal species will eventually 

 be the choice. However there are 

 several reasons why this showy 

 yellow flower should not be select- 

 ed. Let us consider the points 

 and merits of this and other flow- 

 ers of America. 



The scientific name of the gold- 

 en-rod is solidago, a word meaning 

 cure-all, in its general significance. 

 It has been suggested by some, in 

 a spirit of fun, that this species 

 might with propriety be selected 

 as our national representative, be- 

 cause of its name — to make whole. 

 We are, as is generally known, 

 blessed with the grandest aggre- 

 gation of quacks of any country 

 under the sun, and it does seem a 

 fitting tribute to quackdom to em- 

 blazon cure-all on our escutcheon. 



Although so named — a cure-all, 

 the plants of the genus are now 

 considered practically inert, as re- 

 gards their medical properties. 

 The pharmacopoeia ascribes var- 

 ious effects to solidago. It says 

 that golden-rod is aromatic, mod- 

 erately stimulant, and a promotor 

 of perspiration. The dried flow- 

 ers and leaves are used as a pleas- 

 ant and wholesome substitute for 

 common tea. However, the herb 

 is now but rarely used in medicine, 

 and is at best, rather an old wom- 

 an's remedy, than a doctor's re- 

 liance. 



There are over forty described 

 species and varieties of golden-rod 

 in the United States, while there 

 are undoubtedly many others yet 

 to be described. Of these about 

 thirty are to be found in the region 

 of the Great Lakes. Professor 

 Beal of the Agricultural College of 

 Michigan, enumerates twenty-four 

 distinct species in this region. 

 Now it will be seen on the examin- 

 ation of a general collection of 

 golden-rods, that there is a great 

 amount of difference in the forma- 

 tion of the clusters of blossoms, 

 and this variation is so manifest 

 that to a botanist the various spe- 

 cies may be readily identified. 

 While to the vast majority of per- 

 sons interested, nothing can be 

 distinguished as to the kind. It 

 does not seem desirable to select a 

 heterogeneous, cure-all flowers, 



No. 20 



which cannot be properly defined 

 as our national choice. 



The shamrock, thistle, fleur-de- 

 lis and others were known to all 

 in the countries where they were 

 selected as emblematic; but, here 

 in America, there are millions who 

 are much better acquainted with 

 foreign species, than with our of- 

 late-notorious golden-rod. Many 

 of our American born citizens of 

 refinement do not know this arbit- 

 rarily selected flower, even though 

 it is of such general dispersion. 



Aside from the fact that this 

 flower cannot be considered suit- 

 able, by lovers of propriety — we 

 still cannot help admiring it as 

 very pleasing in its autumnal 

 splendor. To those who admire 

 our woods and fields, there is a 

 charm, which is never displaced 

 by the more brilliant display of the 

 garden or conservatory. No one, 

 who has passed the period of 

 youthful roving in woods and fields 

 can view a wild flower without re- 

 calling the past. Pleasant mem- 

 ories, resulting from some familiar 

 sight or sound, are ever recurring 

 to us, as we wander through the 

 grove, or over the pasture lots, 

 and the person who has no agree- 

 able rememberance of youthful 

 days, must be callous indeed, or 

 at least, strangely constituted. No 

 wonder that Campbell says in his 

 comparison of wild flowers: 



"Ye field flowers! The gardens eclipse 



you, 'tis true, 

 Yetwiklings of nature I dote upon you, 



For ye waft nie to summers of old, 

 When the earth teemed around me with 



fairy delight, 

 And when daisies and buttercups glad- 

 dened my sight, 

 Like treasures of silver and gold." 



In a careful review of all avail- 

 able matter on the subject of a Na- 

 tional flower, I find sixteen species 

 in nearly as many families, spoken 

 of. Of this number several spec- 

 ies are known to be aliens and of 

 course need not be considered. 

 The dandelion appears to be a fav- 

 orite with many and I have no 

 fault to find with it. However, it 

 is probably too much of a pest to 

 ever gain favor enough to entitle it 

 to merited distinction. 



Mr. Maurice Thompson of Craw- 

 fordsville, Indiana designates the 

 tulip tree as his candidate for the 

 honor. This tree is commonly 

 known as the white-wood at the 

 north, while in various other sec- 

 tions it is known as poplar or pop- 

 ple, tulip tree — in allusion to the 



