Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-07-10
D0CTORING NATURE.
COLOR AND PERFUME OF FLOWERS
CHANGED eY CHEMICALS.

70 secure New Encet. In Shades and
Fragrance Tnorts 10 Produce Hue
ChrysAnthemum.
Modern scientists and chemists have
no respect for nature They have lately
taken her most delicate creations, The
flowers Of the field and the garden, and
attempted to change their colou and
perfumes Strange 10 say. considerable
success has attended their efforts
Many fashionable florists both IN
American and European cities estnb.
lished regular chemical Laboratories IN
connection with their hoth1uses for ear.
rying ON this unique industry. Tho fad
comes originally from Paris by way u
London.
Tho first stop IN this direction con.
sisted IN the artificial dycing u Mah
flowers a. the white carnati0u. the lily
u the valley and the hyucinth. Thoro
Is wei known New York florist who
frequently changes the colors " these
flowers 10 suit the whims and fuu'l0t ~
his wealthy patrons lie finds that be-
can successfully treat almost amy bulb.
Gus flower by placing it IN o solution
containing oxalio acid and tho special
color which be- wishes 90 inpart to tho
petals Of the plant
Il was IN this way that tho "gccn
caruation. " 81 which N much WIS heard
u year or 20 ugo, was produced A lily
Of tho valley can be changed from iis
pun white ~ u dol.cnto biush.ug pink
by placing tho cut flower IN nj ink.
The oxalio acid In the ink opens tho
pores u tho plant and allows the color
Ing matter 10 be- absorbed This same
New York florist has long been trying
20 produce II blue chrysnnthcmum. with
the view II pleasing the patrons ~ tho
Yale football matchOs He has not yet
succeeded, but no Is firmly convinced
that II will only be u matter u timo
before chemists enable the florist To
produce every known yarioiyu Of color In
Towering plants
In pcrfuming flowers and especially
In nrtincially strengthening and rcyiv.
ing the natural odur, florists have guno
very far, and Il would socm that IN this
line thorc ia rcallyno limit In order to
revive flowers exhausted by timo or car.
riage. their oxtromitios are immersed In
vessels containing weak solution If
sal nmmoniar Thor udor h then
strengthened by moistoning them with
an alcohol solution ~ hcpcrfumoo or cs.
sential oil corresponding 10 tho natural
scent
This Is done ON % very largo scale with
yiolots, roses, hawthorns, ETC.. the pr.
fumes o. which aro manufactured large.
ly in France. Two such perfumes nrc
"violottino' and "Rouniolino. Tho
former IL composed Of 100 grams of al.
cohol. 100 Of glycorin and 10 II essence
u violet. Tho latter Is u similar prupn.
ration In which tho essence VI violet ~
replaced by gcrpnoil or artificial oil II
rosos. The glycorin In these preparations
Is added In order 10 fix the scent. which
would otherwise rapidly cynpopte
A more scientific method ~ strength.
ening the odur Of flowers before shipping
them or placing them ON snlo IL fro.
quently used. They arc put into awood.
IN box cooled externally with ice In
the bottom Of this box lies tube pro.
yided with pcrforntions. and through 10
u sent current charged with carbonio
ncid gas and tho odur characteristics 81
the flower Again, in order 20 fix tho
pdor. tho flowers aro sprinklcd with %
very small quantity Of glyccrin
Not content with adding 10 tho
strength Of secuted flowers ly this
means, the flower dealers, aided ly tho
suggestions Of chemists, have gone tho
length OF dopriving flowers Of tho nat.
ural odors md substituting othor. They
have given the fragrant lilac tho udor Of
tho rose, tho pink tho perfume of tho
violet and tho humble cornHowcr the
aristocratio scent Of the jasmine Il ~ a
delicate operation and ono that does not
succeed with all flowers. 10 consists In
imncrsing tho flower in u bromide solu.
ton which diycsts IL ~ nearly every
truce Of it, natural fragrance. After thia
IL Is washed and thun pcrfumcd with
the odor desired in the manner already
described.
Tho results uf these attempts to i'm.
pruyu upon nature aro not always salts.
factory. Flowers which hayo been doc
tored or revived by artificial means
rarely last long enough 10 afford any
pleasure to those who purchase them.
There is. after all, nothing that can
rival tho natural bcnuty and fragrance
II u flower ~ il comes fresh from tho
garden or dollhouse and happily there
are still millions OF people who would
give morn for the fragrance Of one sweet
violet fresh from the woods than all tho
artificial productions Of New York OF
Paris Philadelphia Press.