240 THE RING OF NATURE 



that have been mainly drained. However, take 

 what you will from green, either green or yellow 

 or blue remains. You can scarcely make it red, 

 such as the flaming crimson of the sumac or the 

 violet glow of the dogwood. 



Ruskin, speaking to the students of Tunbridge 

 Wells of the red colour in nature, said : 



4 Iron stains the great earth wheresoever you 

 can see it, far and wide it is the colouring sub- 

 stance appointed to colour the globe for the sight, 

 as well as to subdue it to the service of man. 

 You have just seen your hills covered with snow, 

 have enjoyed, at first, the contrast of their fair 

 white with the dark blocks of pine woods ; but 

 have you ever considered how you would like them 

 always white not pure white, but dirty white 

 the white of thaw with all the chill of snow in it, 

 but none of its brightness ? That is what the 

 colour of the earth would be without its iron ; that 

 would be its colour, nor here or there only, but in 

 all places, and at all times. 



Ruskin then proceeded to tell his hearers of some 

 of the ways in which the earth was coloured by 

 iron the gravel walks, the warm colour of the 

 common, the earth of the ploughed field, the 

 golden colour of the seashore. 



Is it not possible that he might have added the 

 glory of the autumn beech to the credit of the 

 ubiquitous rusty iron ? We only know that it 

 has been shown that chlorophyl, the green light- 

 splitting, carbon-elaborating substance of the leaf, 



