The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-14
CcLoR FACTS.

Did you ever notice that there Is no
blue food? We eat things green. and red,
yellow and violet: flesh, fish or plants In
Many deadly poisons are blue I'm color,
such as bluestone or the deadly night
shade flower. says the Philadelphia In
qurer. The color stands in our slang for
everything miserable and depressing. But
this is only one OF thousand queer facts
about colors. Heat bar of iron and the
particles OF the metal are set in motion
shaking violently one against another.
Presently the surrounding ether is set in
motion in large, slow waves, rolling
through the air like the waves OF the sea-
until they break upon our skin, and give
us the sensation OF heat. AS the iron gets
hotter other waves are set I'm motion In
immense numbers, travelling at more than
lightning speed, and these break upon
the eye, giving the sensation OF red light.
The redhot iron. getting still more
heated, throws out other sets of waves
still smaller and more rapid-orange, yell
low, green. blue indigo violet. all the
colors of the rainbow. The eye can not
tell one from another; the whole bundle
of rays mixed up gives us an impression
or white. That Is the glow from the
white hot" iron. and such is the light
from the still greater brightness OF the
sun. Sunlight IL bundle OF rays Of
ight-red. orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet all mixed together. The
mixture OF all colors is white light. the
absence OF all colors is utter darkness.
Now pass a ray OF sunlight through a
drop OF water. and the colored rays are
split up and thrown in different direc-
a.
many drops OF falling rain after a shower
Is all split into colors. and the result is
the gorgeous rainbow. The scattered
spray OF sea wave, OF n waterfall or
fountain. makes little rainbows, caused
In the same way.
Each kind OF light has it's own special
uses. The red rays Of light make the
leaves OF the trees 80 grow. and hasten
all rotting and decay. Moreover, IL YOU
cut off the red rays, plants will grow with
golden brown leaves instead OF green.
The sea Is blue because the water re-
llects the blue rays of light, but shallow
seas are green. because the blue light n
mixed with the yellow reflections from
sand and stones at the bottom. Green
is a mixture of blue and yellow. In this
green light OF shallow water all seaweeds
grow. and. for want OF the red rays. they
have golden and tawney leaves. Green
and red seaweeds are the exception. and
blue seawceds are as rare as blue tree
Iaves AT this rate. land plants grown un-
der green glass ought 10 turn golden
brown, like seaweed. They do. Expert
ment has shown that under green glass
plants grow nearly as well as under clear
sunlight.
Under red glass nearly all plants grow
four times az quickly as under white
light, grow to four times their usual
height and throw cut a fine display of
green leaves. This is clear proof that
the red rays of sunlight cause the green
leaves 10 grow. This discovery will be
OF immense help TO gardeners who want
70 force their plants. and to farmers try
ing to induce early crops OF vegetables.
Blue glass has directly opposite ef-
feet Plants will neither grow nor die;
they languish. and yet remain alive. The
blue makes them sleep. The effect is ex-
actly that OF moonlight and starlight,
when all plants take their natural rest.