NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14132, 6 August 1909, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

■ FLOWERS OF ANY COLOUR. The day appears to be not far distant when Germany, the land of applied chemistry, will be able" to send us flowers' of any prescribed colour. The task of influencing the colours of flowers by the use of chemicals is, one that has occupied chemists for some time, and the; results have not been wholly satisfactory because so many of the modifications obtained proved not to be permanent., Professor Henry Kraemer, by using various chemicals to modify the colour principals of plants, has obtained some curious effects. The chemicals were supplied to the plants in the form of solutions of varying strength, or were added to the soil in solid form, solution gradually taking place. ■'•■ Probably the most striking result was the production of a red colour ; in the petals of the white rose Kaiserine. The red pigment comes out at the base of the petals of i roses,~which have been supplied with potassium hydrate, calcium hydrate and lead acetate. Kraemer surmises that either' the added chemical has reacted directly with a chemical already in the petals and has formed a new substance, or that the colour substance in other parts of ; the plants, as in the leaves, has been transported to the petals through the influence of the chemical. '■ In some experiments with the red flowering hydrangea blue flowers were produced by plants when the soil or sand in which they were growing was supplied with potassium and aluminium sulphate or aluminium sulphate' and calcium hydrate. X : In plants fed on the lead acetate the pink or red colour 'was''Considerably, intensified.

MILITARY TRAINING IN SCHOOLS

Lord Strathcojfra's munificent gift of •£soiooo for the/ promotion of the physical - and ■■; military training of schoolboys 'may be expected to eive a great impetus

to a movement already firmly established in Canada. It is, indeed, expected that within two months all the provinces will have availed themselves of the same arrangement as the Dominion Government has already made with Nova Scotia for the introduction of the elements of military, instruction into , the public schools. In the junior classes this instruction ■ will be of the most elementary nature, and will be concerned in:. the main ; with the physical condition.: and bearing of the pupils. In the high schools, however, the boys are to be formed into, cadet corps, and to receive a supply; of arms and ammunition ■ for 4'ifle practice. So that the school teachers may be themselves prepared for this addition to the class, curriculum; the Dominion Government will lend the services of some of the members of the permanent corps for the conduct of schools of instruction for teachers. ■■■; It is believed that the movement will be of immense value to the militia service, r In Nova Scotia the introduction of drill and . the elements of military instruction have been introduced into the schools with very little of adverse comment, or of, that dread of militarism which is supposed to prevail in the average Canadian household and if the comments of leading Canadian newspapers are any indication of public opinion on this subject, a uniform system of physical training, of elementary drill, and of rifle practice will soon be in force from one end of Canada to the other. :■■ ;