392 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET 
scarlet Geranium, and also to the leaves of the red Cab¬ 
bage, which if bruised and steeped in water a blue or 
violet solution is produced. The acid which causes the 
reddening is in all probability carbonic, which escapes 
into the atmosphere on rupturing the vessels containing 
it. Schubler, in the Jour, de Pharmacie, considers the 
red, orange, yellowish green colors of flowers to be 
dissolved in vinegar and water, what remains is the red, 
which when properly prepared is a brilliant color; but 
though beautiful it is fugitive, removed by washing and 
destroyed by the sun, and on that account is not of 
very great use in manufacture. 
Red in the petals of many flowers is produced by 
coloring substances in so small quantities that it escapes 
Spirea Astilboides. 
owing to the absorption of oxygen; the bluish green, 
blue, violet blue, violet red, and red colors, to be owing 
to disoxygenisement. 
The only flower cultivated for the sake of the red 
color obtained from its petals is the Carthamus tincto- 
rius or Safflower grown in Egypt and countries border¬ 
ing on the Mediteranean. The flowers contain two 
coloring matters, yellow and red; the last is considered 
to be an acid. After the yellow coloring matter has been 
on endeavoring to extract it. I have submitted the 
petals of red flowers to various degrees of pressure, but 
have generally found the juice extracted to be^olorless; 
but some of the juices obtained from others have borne 
a crimson hue, and this has been changed to blue by an 
alkali, and yellow or red by an acid. An authority 
upon this subject mentions Papaver rhceas, the petals of 
which are a very lively red. These are changed to 
green by potash, but the carbonate of soda and ammo- 
