The San Francisco call., 1910-03-30
EGG YOLk GIVES
COLOR STANDARD
California Poppy Is the Only
Flower That Produces Equal
Shade of Yellow
Gamboge, the Artists Standby,
Gathered From Gum Tree
OF CambOdia

AS we chip our breakfast egg. new
laid or otherwise, we note the rich yell
loW, of the yolk. To the Greeks the
yolk was the crocus of the egg. That
is, the saffron of the egg, for they used
the same word for the familiar flower
and the famous co1oring matter derived
from it. And saffron, one of the most
highly appreciated of yellow dyes, re-
SembleS closely the rich color OF the
yolk of the egg. We see this color in
the stigmas of our spring Towering
purple crocuseS. but the dye is really
prepared from those of an autumn
towering kind.
The yellow crocus also approaches
the saffron in the shade of its petals
AS a color this crocus yellow is almost
unique among garden flowers. The
narcissus tribe are of a paler and purer
yellow, lacking the richness of the cro-
Gus. Only perhaps in one variety, the
Butter and Eggs is the crocus yellow
approached. Nor is there any such yell
low to be found in the rich variety OF
the tulip, neither does it appear in the
yellows of the wall flower. That beau
tiful Californian annual, the esch-
scholtzia, approaches it nearly.
To realize fully the beauty and rich
ness of the crocus yellow the flowers
snow. The pure white then emphasizes
the orange tone of the yellow, and
gives it a richer hue by contrast. Other
breakfast table yellowS are seen in
cream and butter. The light yellow of
the former has given the name to that
pale, almost white, shade so frequent in
women's dresses and lace curtains And
one of our common wild flowers has
taken one of its popular names. But
ter and Eggs" from the two yellows Of
it's flowers, the lighter shade being that
of butter.
RAINBOW IN COAL MINE
Gamboge is one of the artists most
important yellows. 1t is the gum resin
of tree which bears yellow flowers
and leathery, laurel like leaves. The
name of the pigment indicates the
country from which it comes. fer
gamboge is simply a corruption of
camboja Cambodia. In this far
eastern country the tree grows wild.
and sheds those sticky tears which help
the artist to paint the sunrise and the
autumn tints of the woods. Gamboge
was taken to Europe by merchants
from the east toward the end of the
sixteenth century.
Coal has been called stored up sun
shine" and there are indications that
in the storing up the rainbow was in
cluded. For from that dark, un-
promising looking llQuld coal tar mas
come the wonderful aniline, which,
under the manipulation of the chemist,
has given us a perfect rainbow of dyes.
Every color and all shades of color
are produced from aniline. Among
these is the fine yellow known as
yellow fuchsine 1t is a curious fact
that certain yellow pigments are
English pink and Italian pink are all
really yellows. But there are causes
and occasions, why and wherefore in
all things" and even this curious no
menclature can be accounted for. These
yellows are of the nature of lakes"
that is, colors produced by the action
of a metallic oxide on some organic
coloring matter. And the original lake
was red produced by mixing cochineal
with alumina.
INSECT PRODUCES COLOR
Now the cochineal insect is also
known as the lac insect (coccus lacca)
and hence the color was called a lake"
Other colors were produced in the same
way, and were, therefore, also called
lakes. They were all pinks, and so
pink became synonymous with lake
Thus when yellow lakes were made
they were called pinks.
familiar yellow is commonly known
as buff. The word is a contraction of
buffalo. and originally meant buffalo
leather. The buff jenkins of litera-
ture were leathern Jackets at one time
made of buffalo hide. Then 1t came to
denote the color of the buffalo leather
a pleasing light shade of yellow. Sui
phur yellow, primrose yellow, straw
color, maize, are other terms used to
designate particular shades.
Canary yellow is the beautiful bright
tint seen in the feathers of the well
known bird. The quaint and pretty
flowers of the canary creeper repro
duce this shade The original wild
canary, however is said to have been
green. Among our native birds canary
yellow appears in the yellowhammer
Duller and softer shades are seen in
the yellow wagtail, while the golden
oriole justifies it's name in the yellow
of its plumage.
WILD FLOWERS YIELD DYE
Among our wild flowers dyers' weed.
or weld, yields a yellow dye, formerly
largely used. 1t is said to be still used
for the bright yellow of the braid used
on military uniforms.
One of natures most remarkable
yellows in the animal world is the bile.
When we see the yellow flag flying
from the mast of vessel we know that
there is, or has been. sickness on board.
The ship. in fact, is in quarantine And
when nature hoists the yellow bile
stained nag IN the human cOuntendnce
1t is a signal of liver trouble within.
Green and yellow melancholy" is in
sight.
Yellow may be a sign of mischief in
the plant world. The farmer views
with dismay the premature yellowing
of the growing corn, and the gardener
often notes the same in his plants
with regret. It may be the sign of "a
worm in the bud'-or at the root But
in autumn the golden yellow of the
cornfields is a sign of maturity and
the approach of harvest
Yellow is also a prevailing color in
the much admired autumn tints of the
trees. Elm and lime assume their
golden hues, and the ash, when in its
hurry of leaf shedding it tarries to