Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-10-10
UNIQUE COLLECTION.
Flowers Reproduced In Glass With Almost
Incredible Fidelity.

UNIQUE COLLECTION.
Flowers Reproduced In Glass with Almost
Incredible Fidelity.
Students OF botany have lately had an
opportunity to examine unique collec-
ton OF glass flowers given to Harvard
College by Mrs. Ware and her daughter
as memorial OF Doctor Ware. The ex-
hibition was held In the lecture-room OF
the Botanic Garden at Cambridge, and
Prof Goodale, the director OF the gar
den, was present with his assistants to
explain points Of interest These fow-
ers were made by two Germans, father
and son, living near Dresden, and so
perfectly are all the parts OF the plants
reproduced that it would have been easy
to believe that every beautiful blossom
ing spray lying carelessly in the show
cases had just been cut from the living
stalk.
In some cases even the root was pre-
served. There was bnttercup with
half dozen blossoms and buds, plenty
OF fresh green leaves, and little Hbrous
rootlets To which one almost expected
70 SEQ the earth still clinging. Some of
the lily family seemed 10 spring from
the bulb Mt their base.
Doctor Goodale took pains to send to
Germany roots and seeds OF such Of our
characteristic plants rs are not found in
Europe, so that the artists were able to
work direct from nature in all cases.
The rendering OF color In these speci-
mems is marvel OF fidelity The yell
lows, for instance, show all the varying
tints Of nature, from the faint cream OF
the prickly pear, through the lemon
yellow Of the cup-plant, 70 the gold Of
the wild parsnip. and even TO the rich
brown OF the French marigold. The
splendid blue OF some of the salvias and
lobeiias lost nothing In these glass
models, and even the rare shade of the
succoFy was perfectly reproduced. The
only failure in this direction was in the
cardinal flower, and even hero perhaps
1t was the soft velvety sheen on the
petals which one missed rather than
depth and richness OF color
In looking at the waxy clusters OF the
linden tree, 1t seemed as |. the flowers
must be heavy with sweetness, as they
are in Juhe, and the remark of one OF
the gentlemen, that bees had endeav-
ored to collect honey from some OF these
specimens did not sound Ike an exag-
geration.
Thus far the collection is wonderful,
but would not have much value to
botanist, except that an fastener is
glad to see the Western Siiphium with
out being obliged to travel to Chicago,
or Northerner may like To examine
some plant which grows on the dry
plains of New Mexico while II Ia CON
venience to every one to study the
night-b,oominr cereus nj any hour ~
But ACCOMMODATING each stalk Of bios
SONS are maqnifIed reproductions OF
every part OF the blossom. 40 that, with
n great saving OF time. n flower can be
as faithfully analvzed as II one were al
work upon the living specimen.
Take, for example the wild parsnip.
Its umbel 81 flowers contains perhaps
thirty or forty tinv individuals These
are so we'll copied by the artists that
the tiniest shows every curve Of every
petal. Now. il we we're to work with
the real flower. orr only chance Of nm.
Outstanding It's structure would be 10
dissect IL carefully under a compound
microscope. and this Ia n long and diff
cult task. Here we have before us moi
only the blossom. but the earpels ard
even the oil tubes, all marnitied far be-
vo,,a tho ,,o,,,,r 40 -, ,,.at,,ar,, s.,,aa,,4,.
,,,rroscors a,a .1.sa,,s ~, w. 7
A.Sossop0s ""A Always reauy ior OK
aniihasioh'
Here, too. are pollen grains OF some