The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-27
SECRETS OF TIE FLOWER BUSINESS.
How to Give Artificial Colors to Cut Flow.


From he GarG.s,e,i Chronicle
The excitement about blue carnations led
my neighbour. Mr.. W. Darlington. and myself
to endeavor to solve the mystery by initiating
it. and we soon discovered that. although flow
ers could not be tinted by immersing them
in dye solutions. they could readily be colorcd
by placing their stalks in aniline solutions.
Aniline scarlet, dissolved in water to about
the transparency Of claret. has n very rapid
action on flowers. coloring them pink and
scarlet. Indigo carmine produces beautiful
blue tints. The two combined dye various
shades OF purple. with curious notified effects
some parts OF the flowers becoming pink and
other parts blue and purple. Greens are pro-
duced by using tho blue dye with yellow We
also tried indigo and cochineal. with partial
success. Lily of the valley flowers became
beautifully tnged with pink or blue in six
hours. Narcissi are changed from 0uro white
to deep scarlet in twelve hours. and delicate
sh AIDES Of pink are impaired to them in n very
short time. Yellow dafodils are beautifully
striped with dark scarlet in twelve hours; the
edges of the corona also becom. deeply
tinged. and the veinings OF the peranth become
LaIageria alba. Gala nthiopira. cyclamons.
snowdrops. leucoiums. hyncinths. Chrlstmas
roses so!omons seal tTirs ana many "trr
leaves were found to become colored very
quickly by the process. send you herewith
Tho interesting question of how this change
is brought about soon attracted my attention
and proved EXTREMES interesting. Inc color
alton is mainly confined to the vessels,
There is u system OF veins IN rlnnts. tho vein
tubes 6sa eary iss he enxs t
other parts Of tho flower. In these tuhcs tho
motion OF tho coorcd water can no seen. anl
color is conveyed and left in every portion Of
the plants In the ease OF cut flowers. tn" nc-
at once to absorb tho fluid. which was passed
along by either CAPILLARY attraction. contrae-
fo2ec or act%s H tho 7o Ses mere SS
tireIy with cut flowers. ! atterward trird tho
carefully out OF the soil and plncinS tho roots
In nnilinc water. In twelve hours tho petals
came pink tinted throughout This export
m,dit was repeated on many nnrcissi and .th"r
root pS lltres s" We're ""Srokcn proHaby th"y
were SO. a. have failed to color any flower by
MERELY watering the soil Wth col"Ted WI.sr
Iy prevent the absorption Of much of he color.
as tho petals Of tho io,wcrS Do not become
plant has It's roots as with cut flowers, it was.
however. clearly seen that tho vein tubes PRO.
wntcr system oi tubes from root to iiownr.
The veins when colorcd arc beautifully seen !
under M go, clear tThs rnHn.ni;
lular matter Tho tubes gradually branch orf !
rs they proceed, and A. they apprTnrn tho
the culorcd wator reaches the nrrglns Of tNn ,
petals they thus tccom" deeply fractured.
cause whereby the dailodil s" frequently OBJ
tains the deeper color ut til" edge II the corr |
ma. II i tho same with tho lrucoiuin aht Tho
Very singular results were obtained in tho
vari"gate,l leaves Of tho aucuht mnd ivy.
plants which. nt this winter season. one wpnll |
suppose. had the leaves quit. dormant Sin |
ge leave. with their stalks placed IN nnii,as
and in iwclio hours Ind their mar.in4 1e"niy
cOlored. They were Thus shown to have tho |
nbsorItivc power. luli" apart from this SION,
Another remarkable instance was seen IN |
LaM=er" aha Will % ~ WI W,ih mn nn . MTy
placed in dye water IN. wlrI!e flower became |
beautifully vcined with PINK IN three or ioMr
iminutem. S' d ths tubes through which tic
liquid las to be drawn. II Is difficult to be-
licye that this can hu iccntnllishcd BY rhpl-
which has thick stalks. tho flower does not
become tinted at al. but tho style Is eyed q
deep,rcd. The pistlls Of nowcrs always become
showing that the solid matter Of tho colorins
solution Is thus srcrctrl deposited I'M by tho
' WHits TULIPS furnish excellent illustrations
Of art inciul coloring, rs they can b" Scadly
tinted either pink; blue; Ernon or pnrnl" H.
displayed in the petals agrcc with ~" strong
ly marked features known ~ tho named or
"feathered varieties OF the florist, 1T II gen:
arc then called "brcclnr tulirs." and the en-.
amateur iinli-l q; Won ii. nlo"L;
whnn thrY lrcoinc either, =" liamed' or "iuHti-
cred varieties Now q florist nay, ascertain
come a feathered or famed sort. and whether
tas Be Because sSss SS venas 's the Ssia
shown by the color. and 1t Ii that which makes