Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11
Dy@eP and Flow TeP0Gs
By ROBERT MEADE VAUGHAN

as hopeless, is at last an accom- o.
pished fact. Uncle Sam has produced NY
the flower, and specimens of it will soon
be placed on exhibition in the Government green
houses in Washington
The marvel has been evolved by the employment
of an ingenious artifce certain elements being
tributed to the soil which supply the requisite pig
ment. Up to the present time the work has been
carried with great secrecy by experts of the
Plant Bureau but before long special bulletin on
the subject will be issued, telling people just how
they may grow blue roses in their own yards or
window-boxes.
Like most things in this world, it is simple when
you know how. All you have to do is to sprinkle
the soil about your rosep plant with water into which
a small quantity of an inexpensive chemical powder
has been put. You drop portion of the contents
of little paper packet into the watering-pot, use
the latter in the customary manner, and the wished
for result is soon accomplished.
The experiments made by the experts at
the start of purely chemical nature. They took
roses of different coors, few at time, and squeezed
the juice out of them, thereupon subjectng the
liquid to analysis In this way they ascertained
that the coloring matter present composed
OF two distinct substances, red and the other
blue. The latter substance, to which the name
flower blue" has been given, found to be
mixed with the red pigment in varying proper
tons, the compound being held in solution by the
plants. By treating the liquid with chemicals it's
color could be altered at will For example,
and muratc acid gave it reddish hue. But
when the juice of perfectly white roses, which
was entirely colorless, was taken, the problem +
became extremely simple, the liquid readily s
adopting any tint desired.
This last point, indeed, might be taken as
matter of course but it was necessary in
order to solve the problem satisfactorily, to &
ascertain definitely the makeup of the color
ing material present in different varieties of
roses The chemistry of the blossoms so to
speak, being once understood. it possible
to proceed scientifically and to apply the knowl-
edge thus gained to the production by artificial
means of roses possessing tints unknown to nature.
The next step taken to place cut roses of
different colors in water containing small quantities
of suitable chemicals and to observe the effects pro-
duced. 1t found that as a result the flower
subjected to this sort of treatment gradually alter
their hues assuming tints corresponding to those
tanned in the experiments made with the juice in the la
atory. Muriatic acid turned them red, potash char
them to green, and alum gave them lilac color.
became copper red under the influence of muratc
By using only white flowers however, with def
amounts of the appropriate chemicals results absolu
definite could be secured. 1t decided therefore, til
roses of colors to be grown successfully in
only coorless varieties must be planted This idea
finally adopted, and the same chemicals being utlizec
dissolving them in water and applying them about
roots the plants made to bear tinted blossoms
by the employment of particular solution which as
a secret the first blue persuaded to UNFOLD
delicate petals, the problem have been sol
Not only blue roses, however, but green ros