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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley news Volume XIV Issue XVIII December 1, 2007 Area Business Produces 10,000 Poinsettias for Holiday Season The sight of thousands upon thousands are heated naturally by the hot springs that of poinsettias in full color underneath one bubble out of the ground near Rocky Point roof is an awe on the northwest inspiring expecorner of Pleasant rience that can View. The greenleave the visihouses are heated tor to the Allan by natural spring Plant Company water that surfacbreathless. It’s es at 134 degrees an annual scene Fahrenheit, and that has been which is then occurring every piped throughholiday seaout the facilison since the ties. Allan raises owner, Dave red, white, pink, Allan, opened salmon, and jinthe greenhouse gle bell—red and for wholesale Allan Plant Company greenhouse located in Pleasant white speckled— business in July View, Utah. Photo by Jim Olsen of North Ogden. poinsettias. of 1976. Primarily a Allan Plant Company, Incorporated wholesale business, the nursery is opened grew 10,000 poinsettia plants this season to the public for general retail sales during alone. Allan has expanded the opera- the holiday season. The business is located tion through the years, and now manages at 4000 N. 2200 W. For more information, 70,000 square feet of green houses that call 801-782-3975. Poinsettias—The Christmas Flower The early Aztecs called poinsettias “Cuetlaxochitl.” From the 14th to the 16th century, the sap of the plant was used to control fevers and the leaves to make a reddish dye. The botanical name for the plant is Euphorbia pulcherrima, which means very beautiful. It was given this name by a German botanist by the name of Wilenow after one of the bright red plants grew through a crack in his greenhouse. The story says that he gave the plant this name because he was so dazzled by its bright color. Joel Roberts Poinsett was the American responsible for bringing the plant to America where it became popular. Appointed by President John Quincy Adams, Poinsett was the first United States Ambassador to Mexico during the 1920s. An avid botanist would wander the countryside looking for new plant species. In 1828, he found a beautiful shrub with large red flowers goring next to a road. He took cuttings form the plant and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina. The rest is history; we now call the bright colored plant after him. Frequently Asked Questions Are poinsettias poisonous? Poinsettias are not poisonous. For nearly eight decades, this rumor has continued to circulate because of one unfounded story in 1919: that an Army officer’s two year old child allegedly died after eating a poinsettia leaf. While never proved by medical or scientific fact and later determined to be hearsay, the story has taken on a life of it’s own. But, the defenders of the poinsettia have pulled out all the scientific stops to allay public fears. The Society of American Florists (SAF) worked with the Academic Faculty of Entomology at Ohio State University (OSU) to exhaustively test all parts of the poinsettia. OSU researchers established that rats exhibited no adverse effects—no mortality, no symptoms of toxicity, and no changes in dietary intake or general behavior patterns—when given even unusually large amounts of different poinsettia parts. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) accepts animal tests as valid indicators whether any product or natural growth is harmful to human health. The OSU research was conducted 23 POINSETTIA cont. on page 17 BIG SWEDE cont. from page 11 valley. Well, there was an individual called Grandma Smith, but her education consisted of knowing a little bit about Indian medicines. Before coming to Utah, she had leaned some nursing and midwifery skills in England. With the lack of medical people and supplies, she became not only the midwife, but eventually the doctor for the whole area. The Big, Dumb Swede made his mark on the valley when one of the Jensen boys, who was less than two years old at the time, had appendicitis. Grandma Smith understood what it was and assumed that with the fever and pain, the young lad was doomed to die. But then, Grandma remembered a recent visit to Ogden where she had heard that there were doctors who could successfully operate on appendicitis patients. After diagnosing the boy, Grandma Smith used the telegraph system to make the Ogden Hospital aware of the child’s critical condition. However, the doctors couldn’t get to Huntsville, and even if they managed it, they couldn’t have operated on him there. The communication between the Ogden doctors and Grandma resulted in the decision to try to get the child to Ogden. The major problem was the valley and the surrounding mountain were covered in snow, and Ogden Canyon was snow-blocked and had many high drifts. Even the river was dammed up several feet deep in some places. Also, the mountains above and east of Ogden rose to 5000 feet or more, and had sheer cliffs and steep gullies. The mountain to cross to get to Ogden was about 4000 feet to the north of Basin Peak. The Swede recognized the problem and said, “You get him to the ridge and I will get him to Ogden.” Grandma and the Jensen family had great faith in the Big Swede, and felt that it was their only chance to save the boy’s life. A team of men on horseback and mules was to form a trail up the Basin Peak Road, past Fling Peak, and to the edge of the ridge above Ogden. The Big Swede, on skis, would then carry the boy down the canyon and to the city of Ogden. The entire expedition was organized in an hour. Many of the men formed a team to break the trail with their horses so others could follow across the hills and canyons. Few understood the risks of going down the western slope of the Wasatch Mountains. Drifts were high, snow slides happened frequently, and no trails were open. With courage and hope, the team of about 30 people took turns breaking the trail. Some would move ahead on horses and others would follow, then they would rest the lead horses and send the fresher horses ahead. They finally crossed what is now known as Snowbasin, went to the north end of Mount Ogden, and looked down on Ogden. The Ogden doctors had been alerted and there were people at the bottom of the mountain, ready and waiting for the boy. As the team came to the crest of the ridge, some helped the Big Swede fit his pack on his shoulders and put the small child inside. The Swede said, “It’s up to me. I go.” He was the only skier in the valley. He had practiced on the hills around Ogden Valley and had also made some ski jumps, although not the 200 foot kind that have become a part of the Olympic image. The Swede looked over the western slope and told the Jensens and the Bishop that he would go down across the north edge of the ridge, where the snow was not quite so deep. He would approach the small canyon, ski through the snowcovered scrub brush, and come out at the bottom of the canyon at about 25th Street, which would place him near the hospital. Sven pushed off. Someone shouted, “Hey, look at the Swede go!” and fired a gun. That could have been a fatal mistake, for the sound triggered an overhanging snowbank. A big snow slide started down the canyon, right in the Swede’s planned path. It forced him to change his course of going down the open canyon, and he, instead, went higher up the slope. There, above 25th Street, he would be ending at an almost-vertical cliff, 30 or 40 feet high. Below the cliff, some several hundred feet above the populated area of Ogden, the snow was probably 8 to 10 feet deep. The Swede remembered that earlier he had seen an area that was slightly leveled and decided he would make a jump. He adjusted his parka so when he jumped it would be like a sail. It would elongate his glide and soften his landing. Up on the ridge, where the men were watching, the Bishop reached over and kicked the guy who had shot the rifle. He ordered, “Keep quiet.” Wind came from the west and provided some lift as the Swede reached the cliff. He leaned over his skis, as modern skiers do now, and spread his arms as the BIG SWEDE cont. on page 15 GRAND OPENING ! 35% OFF one Solaray product or 20% OFF one Nature’s Plus product Health Shoppe One coupon per customer please. Expires December 15, 2007. Located in Valley Gifts in Eden. For more information call (801) 825-1389. |