FLOWERS IN TEN MINUTES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 223, 3 November 1916, Page 8 (Supplement)

FLOWERS IN TEN MINUTES.

A CURIOUS GAIIDEX THICK EXPLAINED. A few years ago sonic of tho lending English horticulturists wn very mnc-h perplexed by certain experiments conducted by a French exhibitor. The demonstrations were conducted in : very open manner, everyone was allowed to examine freely, and it was agreed that there was nothing of the ordinary conjuring trek about the plan. This is what the observers saw. « plant, perhaps a geranium or a rose bush, was brought forward in a large deep box of soil. Sometimes the plant was just growing in the open border. Although the specimen was fi: 1 ! of bud-, there were no expanded blooms to bo seen. The demonstrator informed the onlookers that in a"oi;t ten minutes he would have the plant covered with widely-opened flowers. The procedure started with the watering of the soil over the roots. As soon as the ground was moist, the whole plant was at once covered with a glass shade At tlu end of ten minutes the shad-; was removed, and the audience was amazed to see that the specimen was covered with blooms fully open. Everybody was asked to come forward and look at th-s plant closely, and alto to gather tuo ilowors. These were, of course, closely examined, and the most severe critic was bound to aumit that there was nothing taked about the blooms. The manner in which the instantaneous blooming ol plant.-, was brought about has been recently explained. 11l the first case care was taken to secure specimen:, in which the buds were as tar ili veloped as possible without having actually started to expand. Short,;, before the tune when it was intended to givo the exhibition a shallow trench was dug out ail round the plain. This was not quite, deep enough to expose the maift roots. I hen all around this trench small lumps of quicklime were plated, with care not to put them actually in contact with the roots. When the quicklime was in position the sou was tilled into the trench, and all was now ready for the experiment.

Sometimes it wa.s declared that tin liquid used was a magical ecncoction, as a matter of fact it was plain water. After a thorough soaking rl the sod tho moisturo quickly penetrates to tin quicklmo, and there is a great generation of heat. A cvrtain amount of vapour arises, and this is kept round the plant by the glass shade. The heat in the soil and this warm vapour have iiu extraordinarily slimulat ng effect upon the plant, with the result that the llow.ts' liuds are forced open. Tho opening is quit* genuine, so that the blossoms will stand the closest examination.

The idea s an extension of a plan commonly followed by florists when it is desired to induce (lowers to o]x i :i fully, of placing the stalks for five minutes or .so in almost boiling water. Thi.3 has an amazng effect, for in a very short while the buds, previously tigntly closed, are fully open. In the same nay wild flowers which have wilted after picking may frequently bo revived.—•'" Scientific American."