Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-01-24
QUEER FACTS ABOUT COLORS.
Why the Sea Is Blue In Some spots
and Green In Others.

Did you ever notice that there is no
blue food? We eat things green and red,
yellow and violet-fesh, fish or plants in
all the colors of the rainbow except blue.
Many deadly poisOns are blue in color,
such as bluestone or the deadly night
shade flower. The color stands in our
slang for everything miserable and de-
pressing. But this is only one of thou
sand queer facts about colors.
Heat a 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 in motion in immense num-
bers, travelling at more than lightning
speed, and these break upon the eye, Civ
ing the sensation Of red light.
The redhot iron, getting still more heat
ed, throws out other sets of waves still
smaller and more rapid-orange, yellow,
green, blue. indigo, violet-all the colors
of the rainbow. The eye cannot tell one
from another. The whole bundle of rays
mixed up gives US an impression of white.
That is the glow from the white hot
iron, and such is the light from the still
greater brightness of the sun. Sunlight
is bundle Of rays Of light-red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet all
mixed together. The mixture of all COZ
ors is white light; the absence of all col
ors is utter darkness.
Now, pass ray of sunlight through a
drop of water, and the colored rays are
split up and thrown in different direc-
tions. The sunlight shining through many
drops Of falling rain after shower IS all
split up into colors, and the result is the
gorgeous rainbow. The scattered spray
Of sea wave, of a waterfall or foun-
tain makes little rainbows, caused in the
same way.
Each kind of light has its own special
uses. The red rays of light make the
leaves Of the trees to grow and hasten all
rotting and decay. Moreover, if you cut
off the red rays plants will grow with
golden brown leaves instead of green.
The sea is blue because the water re-
fleets the blue rays of light, but shallow
seas are green because the blue light is
mixed with the yellow reflections from
sand and stones at the bottom. Green
Is mixture of blue and yellow. in this
green light of shallow water all sea
weeds grow. and for want of the red
rays they have golden and tawny leaves.
Green and red seaweeds are the excep-
ton, and blue seaweeds are as rare as
blue leaves. at any rate, land plants
grown under green glass ought to turn
golden brown, like seaweed. They do.
Experiment has shown that under green
glass plants grow nearly as well as un.
der clear sunlight.
Under red glass nearly all plants grow
four times as quickly as under white
light, grow to four times their usual
height and throw out fine display OF
green leaves. This is clear proof that
the red rays of sunlight cause the gEr en-
leaves to grow. This discovery will be
OF immense help to gardeners who want
to force their plants and to farmers try
ing to induce early crops of vegetables
Blue glass has a directly opposite ef
feet. Plants will neither grow nor die.
They languish and yet remain alive.
The blue makes them sleep. The effect
Is exactly that of moonlight aud star
light. when all plants take their natural
rest.-Ciucinnati Commercial Tribune.