The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-09
DOCTORING NATURE.
ootoR AND PERFUME OF FLOWERS
CHANGED BY CHEMICALS.

Naeure's Beauties Arc Now Dyed and Doped
TO Secure New Effects In Shades and
Frasranoe-Enorts to Produce n BIue
Chrysanth emum.
Modern scientists and chemists have
10 respect for nature. They have lately
taken her most delicate creations, the
howers Of the field and the garden, and
attempted to change their colors and
perfumes Strange to say, considerable
success has attended their efforts
Many fashionable florists both in
American and European cities estab-
llshed regular chemical laboratories in
connection with their lighthouses 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 we'll known New York florist who
frequently changes the co1ors of these
flowers TO suit the whims and fapcies Of
his wealthy patrons. He finds that he
can successfully treat almost any bulb
GUS flower by placing it in solution
containing oxalic acid and the special
color which he wishes to impart to the
petals Of the plant
Itwas in this way that the green
carnation. Of which so much was heard
yeor or SO ago, was produced A lily
of the valley can be changed from its
pure white to delicate blushing pink
by placing the cut flower in red ink.
The oxalio 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 blue chrysanthemum. with
the view of pleasing tho patrons of the
Yale football matches He has not yet
succeeded, but he is firmly convinced
that it will only be q matter of time
before chemists enable tho florist to
produce every known parietyof color in
Towering plants.
In pertaining flowers, and especially
in artificially strengthening and reviv-
ing the natural odor, florists have gone
very far, and it would seem that in this
line there is really no limit In order to
revive flowers exhausted by time or car
riage. their extremitiee are immersed in
vessels containing weak solution of
sal anmoniac- Their odor is then
strengthened by moistenfng them with
an alcohol solution of the perfume or cs-
sential oil corresponding to tho natural
scent
Thists done on. q very inrgeeoale with
violets. roses, hawthorns, etc, the Der
1f ,S,,<~
~ In France Two such perfumes are
"violettine" and "gerantolina The
former is composed OF 100 grams OF al
cohoa. 100 Of glycerin and 10 Of essence
of violet The latter is similar prepa-
ration in which the essence of violet Is
replaced by geranoil or artificial oil of
roses The giycerin in theeepreparations
is added in order to fix the scent, which
would otherwise rapidly evaporate.
A more scientific method Of strength
enfng the odor Of flowers before shipping
them or placing them on sale is fire.
quently used. They are put into wood
en- box cooled externally with ice In
the bottom of this box lies tube pro-
vided with perforations. and through it
is sent current charged with carbonic
acid gas and the odor characteristic of
the flower. Again, in order to fix the
odor, the flowers are sprinkled with q
very small quantity of glycerin-
Not content with adding to the
strength Of scented flowers by this
means, the flower dealers, aided by the
suggestions of chemists, have gone the
length Of depriving flowers of the rat
ural 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 cornfower the
aristocratic scent of the Jasmine. 1t is q
delicate operation and one that does not
succeed with all flowers. 1t consists in
immersing the flower in o bromide solu-
ton which divests it Of nearly every
trace of its natural fragrance. After this
1t Is washed and then perfumed 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. Flowers which have been doc
tored or revived by artificial means
rarely last long enough 30 afford any
pleasure to those who purchase them.
There is, after 81, Q2shtng that can
rival the natural beauty and fragrafice
Of Q flower Us it comes freah from the
garden or dollhouse, and happily there
are stin 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. -Philade1phia Press