The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-10-16
QUEER-TINTED FLOWERS
FLoRIcULTURlsTs CHANGE NATURES
COLORS TO SUIT THEIR FANCY.
Flowers Can &c Raised to Suit the DE.
mands Of Fashion In CoIors--Annine
Dyes Dissolved I'm Winter and stems
Placed In the SnlniInn.

hpiN HoWeTS IN tnelr SHOW windows
blue and green carnations. scarlet daft
fodils. pink ilies-of-the-valley and blue
tulips. So startling are some of these
new combinations of colors I'm old
standard flowers that nobody ever
thought of being giddy or vain in their
dress that the mind Is temporarily puZ-
lied. Horticulture is certainly making
tremendous strides every year, but one
is hardly prepared to accept the belief
that growers of flowers have it within
their power To change and alter the
natural colors of all blossoms To suit
their will, or a passing within of fash
ion.
Yet this = just what florists have sue
ceeded in doing. ana i'm the future flow
ers can be raised to suit the demands
of fashion in colors without much la
Dor. Heretofore It has required years
to raise a strain of carnations or roses
that would produce certain fashiona-
bic shade, but now what required long
time and close application of cultural
methods can bc accomplished hy the
florist in few weeks. But the secret
of the process should not bc known if
we would appreciate the new flowers
of the season in all their gay colors.
for the Illusion once broken robs them
of half their value.
The newly-colored flowers are not
exactly dyed. Immersed in dye solu.
lions the delicate blossoms refuse TO
take the colors. Every solution vet
prepared for them has either blotchcd
the leaves and petals, or destroyed
them outright. For ten years now flor
lists have been trying to concoct dye
mixture that the flowers would take
acccptably, and not he injured by il.
but all efforts i'm this direction have
proved futile Now it is discovered.
however that nearly all of our cult
waited plants will absorb aniline solu-
tions through their stems and under
certain favorable conditions the bios
SONS will receive and retain the artin-
Gals colors communicated TO them
through their stalks and branches.
This secret once out extensive OK
pcriments were made by florists with
all sorts of dye compounds, and the re
suit Is apparent this season i'm an
abundance of artifcially colored flow
ers of all conceivable hues. Many of
them are positively beautiful: others
are attractive only by their oddty,
and some are SO incongruous as to of
fend sense of the beautiful i'm nature.
Nevertheless, the flowers thus colorcd
VIII have their day. and fashion will
decree that all blossoms must bend TO
her dictations in the future so far MS
the matter of coloration is concerned
The process of coloring the flowers
artificially is to dissolve anilinc dyes i'm
water to light transparency, and then
place the stems of the cut flowers i'm
the liquid. The coloration cannot be
accomplished by feeding the growing
potted plants with the dyes. although
when the roots are cut ut the base
they will sometimes absorb enough of
the coloring matter To- tingc the bios
SONS. Thus Roman hyacinths can he
taken up from the ground, and by cut
ting a few of the smaller roots they
can be made to change the colors of
their blossoms slowly. Where the
roots and stalks are unbroken. the svs-
tenn of little veins or vessels of the
plants cannot reach the Colored solu-
lions, and consequently they undergo
no apparent change. The present fash
ion is thus of necessity confined chiefly
TO cut flowers, and not to ported plants
Under microscope the action Of the
dye solution is interesting. and also
instructive i'm showing the different
veining of plants. The coloring matter
is clearly visible through the micro
scope as it passes up the stem and
through the leaves, petals and other
parts of the flowers The action i'm
some cut flowers is very rapid. White
tulips placed i'm the aniline solutions
can he tinted pink. blue. green. or pur-
pie i'm few hours The water tubes
of the plants begin 10 absorb the liquid
as soon as the stems are placed i'm II,
and II spreads i'm all directions. show
ing infinitely the various courses Of the
veins. As the coloring matter branches
out the veins grow smaller. until the
extreme ends are reached. where they
are very minute.
When the coloring matter reaches
the blossoms Of the plants IT'S action is
more important than when merely
passing MP the stems or leaves. Ger
tain parts OF the flowers absorb the
liquid more rapidly than others. Thus
the Eucharls amazonica has it's STYLE
dyed dceprcd, while the flower shows
no signs Of colorlng. I'm most flowers
the pisiils absorb the coloring matter
first. and ln the greatest quantity.
showing the deepest tint The dano-
dis and narcissl have their tubes and
coronas colored more deeply than the
pcrianth. The abutIlOn has the caIvx
colorcd. but not the petals.
The difference I'm the general system
Of vciuing Of plants is very noticeable
when plants standing in anilluc solu-
lions are studied under the microscope.
The snowdrOps. for instance. show
eight large veins or tubes ot the base.
and these after crossing The petal I'm
parallel lines branch ont ranlikc at the
tips. giving the rich pink margins that
are so attractive. The vclninp of tho
Christmas roses is very different
Straight tubes cross and rocross the
petals until perfect network Of lines
is formed, which when coIorcd with
rcd 0nillnc dye sunuscs the whole
Hover with delicate shade of pink.
Most Of our common flowers will all.