Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-05-29
DOCTOR1.NG NATURE.
COLOR AND PERFUME OF FLOWERS
CHANGED BY CHEMICALS.

CHANGED BY CHEMICALS.
Natures Beauties Are Now Dyed and Dopet
to Secure New Effects In Shades ant
Fragrance-Ehorts to Produce q Blu,
Chrysanthemum.
Modern scientists and chemists hav,
no respect for nature. They have lately
taken her most delicate creations, thu
flowers Of the field and the garden, ant
attempted to change their colors ant
perfumes Strange to say, considerable
success has attended their efforts.
Many fashionable florists both il
American and European cities estab
lished regular chemical laboratories il
connection with their lighthouses for car
rying on this unique industry. The fac
comes originally from Paris by way O.
London.
The first step in this direction con
sisted in the artificial dyeing Of sucl
flowers as the white carnation, the lii,
of the valley and the hyacinth. Their
is well known New York florist wht
frequently changes the colors of these
flowers to suit the whims and fancles o.
his wealthy patrons. He finds that III
can successfully treat almost any bulb
GUS flower by plac:Sg it i'll solution
containing oxalic acid and the special
color which he wishes to impart to the
petals of the plant.
t. hi, a
carnation, - of which SO much was heard
a year or SO ago, was produced A lily
Of the valley can be changed from its
pure white to a delicate blushing pink
by placing the cut flower in red ink.
The oxalic acid in the ink opens the
pores of the plant and allows the color
ing matter to be absorbed. This same
New York florist has long been trying
to produce a blue chrysanthemum, with
the view Of pleasing the patrons Of the
Yale football matches, He has not yet
succeeded, but he is firmly convinced
that it will only be a matter Of time
before chemists enable the florist to
produce every known variety OF color in
Towering plants.
Ii pertaining flowers, and especially
IN artifcially strengthening and reviv-
ing the natural odor, florists have gone
very fa1, and it would seem that in this
lire there is really no limit. In order to
revive flowers exhausted by time or car
riage, their extremities are immersed in
vessels containing weak solution of
sal ammoniac Their odor is then
strengthened by mOistening them with
au alcohol solution Of the perfume or es-
eeutial oil corresponding to the natural
scent
This is dcne on very large scale with
violets, roses. hawthorns, etc., the per-
f r1es oe which a1a manufactured large
y il France Two such perfumes are
violettine' and geranioline. The
former is composed # 100 grams of al
cohol, 100 Of giycerin and 10 Of essence
Of violet. The latteE is similar prepa-
ration IL which the ssence Of violet is
replaced by geranoiI Or artificial oil of
roses The glycerin IL these preparations
IS added in order to tx the scent, which
would otherwise raptd1y evaporate.
4 more scientific Method Of strength
eniug the door Of flow ers before shipping
1Nem on placing them on sale is fire.
o. ntiY used. They are put into wood
ea boz cooled ezternally with ice. In
tLa bottom Of thus box lies tube pro-
vla4a with perforatiols, and through it
* s.l- % current charged with carbonic
9~if gas aad Jhs odog characteristic of
t1e flower. Again, liz order to fix the
1dor tbe .dowers arc sprinkled with a
very small quantity OF glycerin.
Not content with adding to the
strength of scented flowers by this
the flower dealers, aided by the
s-grostions ce chemists, have gone the
length cf depriviug towers of the nat
ural odors and substituting others. They
have riv4n Inc migrant lilac the odor of
TIE rose. the pink the perfume of the
violet. and tho humble cornfower the
aristc. :ra5ic scent Of the jasmine. It is
7elicato operation snd one that does not
succos L with ali fiovers. 1t consists in
immersing the flower ii a bromide solu-
Uion which divests IN Of nearly every
traeaof its natgral fra GRANGE. After this
If is washed md then perfumed with
Tie o1u desired n the manner already
deseabel
The results If these attempts to i'm
prove upon mature are not always salts
factory. Flowers which have been doc
rored Or revived by artificial means
rarely Last long enough to afford any
pleasure 10 those VINO purchase them.
There is, after all, nothing that can
rival the natural beauty and fragrance
Of a 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
artificial productions Of New York or
Paris. Philadelphia Press.