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Trees braced for winter

Maple leaves

Red – a favourite colour of birds
morning, shepherd’s warning.” Many people believe bison, now extinct, and in the Altamira Cave in spain. The
a red sky in the evening presages fair weather paintings have been dated at around 17 000 years old.
while, in the morning, it indicates the opposite.
While red ochre was readily available to stone Age Bon Appétit Chunky
But why are sunsets red? It’s because when the sun is low people, they also made use of madder, a plant whose paté offers a finely
on the horizon its rays have to penetrate a greater density roots produce a red dye. The red gowns of Europe’s and ground and delightfully
of atmosphere filled with particles and moisture. The Asia’s nobility and the red flags and drapes that people smooth like paté.
short waves of blue and green do not have the strength have favoured throughout history originally came from
to penetrate as far as the longest rays, red and orange. crushing tiny scale insects, Kermes vermilio, found in oak
trees. Their dye is still used, mostly as a food colourant.
There are at least 40 shades of red. There is crimson for instance
– it contains a hint of blue which makes it a stronger colour The spanish conquistadors found the Mayas and Aztecs of
than, say, ruby red. Wine merchants will speak of burgundy, south and Central America had a far more vivid red than
claret, dark red and Bordeaux. There’s maroon too and cerise, existed in Europe. It was from an insect closely related to
magenta, carmine, and the cherry red glow of molten metal. kermes – the cochineal, Dactylopius coccus. These tiny
insects thrived on cacti. By the 1520s cochineal was being
The world’s earliest known use of red colouration used by shipped back to Europe and it accounts for the new richness
humans can be found in south Africa. Twenty years ago paleo- of costumes depicted in later renaissance paintings.
anthropologists, working in a cave at Pinnacle Point near Mossel
Bay, discovered evidence of early humans having scraped and Almost a century ago, south African farmers found that
ground ochre, a red clay, probably for colouring their bodies. the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia vulgaris), which had been To the Dealer/Stockist:
The residues were dated well beyond 40 000 years ago. imported from south America as fodder, had begun invading This coupon entitles the bearer to receive R8 (including VAT) off the regular price of any BON APPÉTIT wet cat food products in return for this
more valuable farmland. so they imported the cactus-eating coupon. This coupon may be redeemed by sending it to the Coupon Clearing Bureau, Private Bag X2, Saxonwold, 2132. Supplier will not redeem
any coupons which have been redeemed on any other product(s) other than those specified above. Purchase of sufficient stock to cover coupons
Ochre is found in abundance across Eurasia and Africa and cochineal insect. It did its job but then discovered our aloes. One presented for redemption must be proved upon request. Only valid, original coupons will be accepted. Coupons may not be exchanged for cash.
was used in the dramatic cave paintings of Lascaux in the often sees cochineal-infected aloes with their leaves covered in Misuse of this coupon constitutes fraud. Expiry date: 31 July 2020.
Dordogne valley in France depicting species of cattle and raised white spots. Crush the insects and you’ll see the red juice.

26 Waterfall Issue 6 2020