The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-22
nOCTORTNG NATURE.
toLoR AND PERFUME or FLOWERS
CHANGED BY CHEMICALS.

to Secure New Effects In shades ant
"A Fragrance Enort- to Produce . Blu
Chrysan themum.
III Modern scientists and chemists have
II no respect for nature. They have latel,
taken her most delicate creations, th'
flowers Of the field and the garden. ano
attempted 10 change their colors ano
. perfumes. Strange to say, considerable
A success has attended their efforts
Many fashionable florists both in
American and European cities estab'
lished regular chemical laboratories IN
connection with their hothouscs for car
rying ON this unique industry The fad
comes originally from Paris by way Of
London
The first step in this direction con-
sisted in the artificial dyeing of such
flowers as the white carnation, the lily
Of the valley and the hyacinth. There
is well known New York florist who
frequently changes the colors of these
flowers 20 suit the whims and fancies OF
his wealthy patrons. He finds that he
can successfully treat almost any bulb
Gus flower by placing il i'll solution
containing oxalic acid and the special
color which he wishes To impart 10 the
petals Of the plant
1t was in this way that the green
carnation, of which so much was heard
year or SO ago was produced. A lily
| Of the valley can be changed from its
| pure white 10 a delicate blushing pink
| by placing the cut flower i'll red ink.
| The oxalic acid i'll the ink opens the
pores Of the plant and allows the color
| ing matter Ia be absorbed This same
New York florist has long been trying
10 produce blue chrysmthemum, with
the view Of pleasing the patrons of the
Yale football matches He has not yet
succeeded, but he is firmly convinced
that il will only be Il matter Of time
before chemists enable the florist TO
produce every known variety of color in
Towering plants.
In perfuming flowers. and especially
in artificially strengthening and reviv-
ing the natural odor. florists have gone
very far, and il would seem that in this
line there is really no limit. In order 10
revive flowers exhausted by time or car
vessels containing a weak solution of |
sal ammoniac. Their odor is then |
strengthened by moistcning them with |
an alcohol solution of the perfume or es-
sential oil corresponding 10 the natural
scent.
This is done on very large scale with
viOlets, roses, hawthorns, etc. the per.
fumes Of which are manufactured large.
ly in France Two such perfumes are
"violettine" and 'geranioline. " The
former is composed of 100 grams Of al.
cohCl, 100 Of glyccrin and 10 Of essence
II violet. The latter is similar prepa.
ration i'll which the essence of violet is
replaced by geranoil or artificial oil Of
roses. The glycerin in these preparations
is added i'll order to fix the scent, which
would otherwise rapidly evaporatc
A more scientific method Of strength
ming the odor Of flowers before shipping
hem or placing them ON sale is FIRE.
luently used. They are put into wood
IN box cooled externally with ice. In
the bottom Of this box lies IA tube pro-
vidod with porforations, and through it
is sent current charged with carbonic |
acid gas and the odor characteristic of
the flower. Again. in order TO fix the
Ddor the flowers are sprinkled with n
very small quantity Of glycerin.
Not content with adding to the
strength of scented flowers by this
means, the flower dealers, aided by the
of chemists, have gone the
length Of dcpriving flowers of the nat
nral odors and substituting others They
have given the fragrant lilac the odor of
the rose, the pink the perfume Of the
violet, and the humble cornfiower the
aristocratic scent of the jasmine. 1t is a
delicate operation and one that does not
succeed with all flowers. 1t consists in |
the flower in a bromide solu.
ton which divCsts ii Of nearly every
trace of its natural fragrance. After this
il is washed and then pcrfumed with |
the odor desired in the manner already |
described
The results Of these attempts to i'm
prove upon nature are not always salts.
factory. lowers which have been doc
tored on revived 10y artificial means
rarely last long enough to afford any
pleasure TO those who purchase them
There is, after all, nothing that can
rival the natural beauty and fragrance
Of flower as it comes fresh from the
garden or dollhouse, and happily there
are still millions of people who would
give more for the fragrance Of one sweet
violet fresh from the woods than all the
productions Of New York or
Paris. -Philadelphia Press.