Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11

tons St Patrick's Day, and pink chrysanthemums
OF odd and unnatural tints to harmonic with certain
decorations for receptions and teas the florist has
employed a process that differs largely from the
just described. He is inclined to cast mystery
about the production of these curiosties; but the
process is SO simple and the materials used are SO
easily obtained that anyone may experiment with
a certainty of success.
solution is prepared by pouring boiling water
small quantity of common dye the proper
tons being cup of water to the size of pin head
of color The mixture thus formed is we'll stirred to
produce thorough distribution of the dye 1t is
then allowed to COOL when the stems of the white
flowers are placed in it, and the sap, running up
ward, carries the color through the veins to the
petals. Only freshly cut flowers will drink up the
fluid IN this manner, since the sap does not flow
after the flower has been cut for several hours 1t
necessary also that the solution should be weak
the color is not likely to be absorbed if too dense
and not well distributed. When the flowers are
not perfectly fresh and will not absorb the dive
through the stems they may be dipped in the
solution, which is entirely satisfactory though it
does not give the evennesS of color that NAV be
obtained by the former means. In either case
permanent coors will be secured without detracting
materially from the duration of the flowers
1t is not at all unlikely that florists may find this
and interesting discovery of the use of chem
icals advantageous in a commercial way. They
will be able to supply cut flowers of out-of-th
way tints dernand-such, for example as
tuberoses. All of these, in fact have already
4 been produced by the experts of the govern
ment Plant Bureau. Tuberoses in particl1-
lar have been found amenable to treatment
of the kind Pure white to begin with they
have been made green, red. blue, yellow
in short, of every color in the rainbow. 1t
is believed that they will be successfully
grown in pots in all of these hues, though
experiments in this line are as yet somewhat
incomplete
The 1ong-wished-for black tulip, which Dame
Nature has not hitherto been persuaded to produce
ought now to be within reach. Likewise the black
0se, which, though surely it could not vie in beauty
h colored roses would be at least a great curios-
and might become fash enable for mourning wear
e and other ornaments which horticultural art
deemed unobtainable for the garden may yet
ne accomplished facts through the medium of
1stry.
ON the explanation already given it will be I'M
God that the substance which gives to most flowers
beautiful colors is a cell-sap-a solution of pig
s. that is to say-contaned in the petals and other
of the blossoms. In the case of yellow flowers,
yer, such crocuses and buttercups, the pigment
thus held in solution, but is deposited in granular
in the walls of the cellsan entirely different method
hitting, to speak, being adopted in their case bv
1t has not been found practicable to modify this
ent by the of chemicals, and thus it is likely that
al have to continue to be satisfied with buttercups
of the hue to which have been accustomed