Morning journal and courier., 1892-05-14
THE .FLEETING SHOW.
Some of Its Facts and Fancies. Written for the JOURNAL AND CouRIKR.l

Some of Its Facts and Fancies.
 Written for the JOURNAL AND CouR1KR.1
 TO PAINT THE LILY.
 The green and blue carnations which a short time since were so fashionable in Paris, and which excited so much interest among flower growers and flower lovers, were supposed to owe their unaccustomed colors to hybridization. It now appears that the carnations were arti6cially tinted by the use of aniline solutions. MT. Will liam Brockbank, in an article published in the Gardeners Chronicle, gives the result of his experiments, as induced by his curi- osity as to the green carnations.
 Aniline scarlet dissolved in water has a very rapid action on flowers, coloring them pink and scarlet. Indigo carmine produces beautiful blue tints; the two combined dying various shades of purple, with curious mottled effects, some parts of the flowers becoming pink and other parts blue and purple. Greens are produced by using blue and yellow dyes. Lilies of the valley were tinged with pink or blue in six hours, narcissi changed from pure white to deep scarlet in twelve hours, and in the same length of time yellow daffodils were striped with scarlet, the edges of the corona being deeply tinted and the vein ings of the perianth strongly marked. White tulips were colored pink, blue, green, or purple in 8 few hours; white ca milias changed to pink shade through l out, and white lilacs became pink or blue. | A few flowers resisted the process. The common wild primrose refused to change it's color, though primulas took new tint readily, and the strongly vein-marked pe- | tals of the abutilon remained unchanged, although the calyx was dyed. Not only flowers, but leaves were found to be sus- ceptible to coloration. Ivy leaves had their margins deeply tinted in few hours, and forced leaves of the Swede l turnip were fringed with red and suffused with orange.
 Such experiments would seem trivial and unnecessary, since most flower lovers are satisfied with the natural colors of their favorites. Who could love purple for get-me-not, or what romance could finger about green rose, or @ scarlet violetl But the question as to the way the change was brought about attracted MT. Brockbank's attention, and it is this which proves most interesting. There is system of veins ir plants and it was by these that the color the action is very rapid, the water tubes
 beginning at once to absorb the fluid
 which was passed along by capillary attraction, contraction
 or possibly by some more active life force
 acting within the veins. These veins wher
 colored are beautifully seen under the mi
 croscQpe as clear tubes running in paralle
 lines, the interspaces filled with cellular
 matter. The tubes gradually branch ou
 as they proceed, and as they approach th
 margin they are very finely branched
 When the colored water reaches the mar
 gins of the petals they thus become deepl.
 tinged, explaining the cause why som
 flowers obtain @ darker tint at the edge O
 the corolla. The pistils of flowers in variably become deeply colored, show
 ing that the solid matter of tn
 coloring solution is deposited in the fruit
 ing vessels of the flower. Plants, tn roots of which were placed in anilin water, colored slowly, the Altering appen dages of the roots evidently preventing tn absorption of so much of the color, but was clearly seen that the vein tubes pro
 ceeded from the roots, thus completing tn
 water system of tubes from roots flower.
 CAPABLE RESTRAINTS.
 ) The labor committee of Great Britsi 3 have appointed four women to act as sut commissioners, their business being to co lect information as to wages, condition , etc., of women employed in the manufa ture of textile fabrics and allied trades.
 These sub-commissioners seem to | specially qualified for the task assigne l, them. Miss Clara Collett has by person ;. observation gained 8 detailed knowledi f. of the lives of working women, and h. |, contributed several chapters on this top
 to MT. Charles Booths book: "The Lab, and Life of the People," Miss May @ Abraham is treasurer of the Women .- Trade Union League, the object of whie
 is to promote combination among workir
 women. Her position brings her in co IS tact with workers in many trades and sl n is a frequent visitor in districts whe , branches of the League are being orga ized. Miss Irwin is engaged in simil U work in Sco,ssnd, and Miss Orme . known as 1oLghtful, earnest speak q and writer upon questions concerning t :, interests of working women.
 U Investigations of this kind are most II tingly made by sympathetic and kind
 women of comparative wealth and leisul
 in the interest of their less favored siste H The labor committee are to be congrat 10 lated upon their good sense in selscti b. (aeh able and SsAlQss associates,