The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1906-01-31
Some Puzzles in Colors.

In summer weather ladies, and men,
too, when possible, wear white. Why?
To keep cool, of course, you will say.
If this be so, why, then are almost
all the creatures that live in Arctic
regions clothed in white? The usual
reply is that the white color is for
protective purposes in order, in fact,
to make them invisible to their enc
mics in the midst of the wastes of
snow.
But, consider again-is this reason
able! From whom does the Polar
bear need to hide? He has no enc
mics to fear. And as for the birds
which assume a white plumage when
they migrate north, surely they also
have fewer foes in the Polar regions
than when further south.
Again, if white be a cool color, this
is surely another reason against the
turning white at the approach of win
ter. 1t is easy to strengthen this ar
gument. visit the tropics and you will
md hardly any white animals or
birds. In the very hottest regions of
the globe not only is man, as a rule,
black, but the birds and beasts are
eltner very dark or else extremely
brilliant ill color. Of tropical DIrus,
the cOmmOnest cOlOrs run as follows:
Brown, dark green and dark blue,
emerald green, reds and yellOws.
Speaking OF birds again, why is it
that lana DIrus are mostly dark nued,
WINE SO many seaDlruS are white!
mere Is another color puzzle. AL
most all song DIruS are sOmDer III hue,
wnIle the brightly cOiOreu species,
such as the Jays, the parrots anu Drus
OF parauIse, have naturally harsh
voices.
1he cOlors of flowers and leaves
Oner NUMBERS OF interesting problems.
NO one quite Knows why the pre-, all
ing tint Oh carry sprIng mowers is
eIlner White or yellow. heilow, III
ueeu, nOluS It's own 10 some extent
ali through the summer, out the typi-
cal cOIor OI summer blooms Is PINK,
While as the autumn ADVANCES richer
crimson anu ali the rich, glowing nueS
OIL dahiiaS anu cnry santnemunIs are
seen.
Horticulturists have produced pop
pies o. pretty nearly every Snaue un-
uer the sun, anu with many mowers
uney seem aDie 10 alIer the colorS al
most as they piease. Yet the blue
rose, me BACK uulIp anu the green
carnaulOn seem as lar OIL as ever tney
were ill spite OIL constant enOrIS 10
arrive at them. Nearly three cenuu-
rIeS ago Dutch gardeners imagined
themselves on tile verge of lnvenung
The cOlOrs OF the blossoms OIL fruit
trees are limited to White, PINK, bright
scarlet anu purple. Inc reason no
ole knows. NOR is 1t clear why nearly
all pants with purple blossoms nave
pOISonOuS properties. The deadly
ing Ia ISndue is an Instance which will
De lamlIIar 10 an country readers.
1t uSeu to De Saiu, and many still
imagine, that Intensity OF coIors ue-
penuS upon intensity OF light. me
DrIlllancy OF Il tropical landscape
seems lii some measure to Dear this
out. But any amount OF arguments
may be deduced against it. RuDies,
OpalS ana other exquisite gems are
Jug from the depth OF the earth.
The rays of the sun have never
touched them. Ihe pulp of some
fruits is more richly tinted than the
outer rind, While the crimson blood
Oh animals is hidden from the light.
W hat could De more rich and magnifi-
cent Ill color than the wings OF MANY
moths! Yet these are all night tiviny