15 JANUARY 1927, Page 13

INVENTING COLOUR.

Colour, indeed, may almost be called a new invention. One catalogue told me last year of the evolution of all the jewelled varieties of the nemesia, daintiest of all annuals, out of the one yellowish variety acquired in South Africa. Light blue and deep purple were both evolved from yellow, a modern miracle indeed ! And the miracle is being performed every year in most garden flowers, rare or common: pentstemons (now one of the most popular of flowers), aubrietias, asters, and not least, as all Londoners should know, dahlias. But sweet peas and roses multiply varieties at the greatest speed.