Show production OF BLUE ROSES only to lie Itea cheil by a process ot continuous variation and selection A well known naturalist recently wrote we may have a yellow rose but it is pretty well agreed that if we ever see a blue one it will be by a process cf continuous variation aud election by this says youth s companion it is meant that if a blue rose is ever produced from a arvd variety for instance the change will not be a sudden one a leap from one color to the other but the result of a gradual progression gres sion through a series of steps leading regularly from red to blue in fact it has been found that both plants and animals exhibit a tendency toward a definite succession of colors and certain colors have been regarded as representing higher stages of evolution alian others the change toward these higher colors are usually continuous and require a series of varia on the other hand instances of sudden reversion to lower colons arc not common red is regarded reg as a higher color in this sense than yellow the yellow primrose sometimes varies to red but the change is never sudden or discontinuous because it is a change in alie direction of progression iut from red to yellow the change sometimes occurs i by a jump so to speak be aisa it is g diug backward the same thing seems to apply in the case of birds red and dirreen species of birds may vary to yellow but the utmost efforts of bleeders breeders bre eders to produce red canaries from yellow ones hava only resulted in an orange hue although there is no relation apparent between alie two phenomena yet it is interesting in connection with this subject to recall alie fact that among alie stars certain colors appear to characterize different stages of change or evolution red stars according to the testimony of the spectroscope tro scope daher widely in their constitution from white or yellow ones and it lias been thought that varying color may give a clew to progressive changes in the heavenly bodies sirius for instance is said to have changed from red to i hite and bome have inspected eliat arcturus is fading from red toward yellow thus science as it clears up one mystery reveals another awaiting its turn to be solved I 1 ut if all knowlt could ever bo attained would it continue to be sought as eagerly as before |