Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-06-18
THE COLOR OF ROSES.
Why It IL Impossible to Produce
a Blue Variety.
A Talk with . Florist Who Seems to Know
All About His Buslness-Shy u Prize
Offered Long Ago Will Proba-
bly, Never Bo Claimed.

Cne words tell In inquiry from the lips
of San Francisco Call reporter. "Why,
man, there never will DO ono; it's nat
ural impossibility."
a money prize stands ready to drop
into the hands OF tho florist who does
produce one. 1t has been offered for
many years by the French Academy,
and as yet no one has ever appeared to
claim the reward. think that all this
Is ono proof that the blue rose will not
DO produced, although in these days of
scientific research and chemical discov-
cry all things arc to be regarded as pos
sossing possibility of achievement.
"Elow are tho different varieties pro-
duccd?" asked the reporter.
I'm such manner as to still further
complicate the production OF q blue
rose," was the reply.
Natural and assisted selection have
produced ono hundred shades of red,
from tho hghtcst pink to tho darkest
crimson. Thero arc tho Marechal Neil
aud hundred or two more varieties of
yellow. Black, oven, has been evolved
from tho darker crimson. suppose tho
rose whose petals are red on ono side
and almost black on tho other is a IA
miliar sight to you. Tho white rose,
which tho Mosiems devoutly believe
sprang into being from the great drops of
sweat which fell from tho brow of Ma
homot in his ascent into Heaven, once
astonishcd an experimenting florist with
that monstrosity known as tho green
rose. Its petals are jagged, curled, ser
rated, or like a bunch Of green rose
leaves, or like head of lettuce ON o
very small scale.
"Whencvor such q variety appears,
either as freak of nature or as a result
of an experiment, it must be seized upon
and helped to remain in it's new shape,
otherwise it will hasten to revert to it's
original color"
us that tho reason why suckers must
always DO removed from rose-bush?"
asked his listener, eager to show little
Horticultural knowledge.
Exactly"
us that tho reason, too, why garden
crs trim rose-bush up high from the
roots. making tho plant and it's flowers
look like big bouquot?''
at is" replied tho man OF rose
knowledge. you see, it is by assisting
tho organs Of the plant to perform their,
natural functions that somo varlctles
arc maintained, while To retard these Or
gans in their development will produce
another result, and to Interfere with
them will produce yet anoLner. Take
the last case, for instance; whom gar
donor wishes to affect the color or tho
size, or even the fragrance of q rose, no
takes tho pollen fire. tho blossom of q
diiforont variety an places it upon tho
absorbent surface VI tho pistil. This
cirocr IF l.
sponslblo Tor mosJ or Jpo varletles, OIL
though laycring, suckcring and graft
ing, both by bud and branch, have done
much to further the production of roses.
'But want you TO oale notice that
all these varieties have como from tho
red, tho yellow and tho white roses.
Red and yciiow, what arc these colorsP"
Primary coiors," replied the listener.
"Quite right" responded tho florist,
with the air Of @ sch0o'master; "and If
you will take the trouble TO think q mo-
mont you will understand that since
blue is also one of tho primary colors,
to produce blue rose is utterly out OF
tho question.
"An artist would laugh at your ig-
noranco if you wore to ask him to take
his tubes of rcd and yellow paint and to
produce you blue tint. Primary colors
1an not BIO resolved into component
colors; they themselves are constituents
OF purc white ray Of light. They
must exist; thoy can not DO made. \
"Color is only part of flower. and,
while there arc p;onty Of blue flowers,
thoy arc not roses, nor related to roses,
and their pollen won't assimilate with
that of a roso; and, if that does not dis
pose of tho bluo roso question, why, I'm
willing to hear what tho next man has
to say on tho subject" said the florist,
with tono of conviction.
''Did you over bleach any roses?"
asked the reporter.
"Oh, that's an old triclir' laughed his
informant. "Oid, whether it's dono as
We boys used to do, by holding roso in
,lc furnoa of n burnir,cr ,,,ntph o, ,>l,oi.,s.