Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-07-24
NO. 30.


In few weeks thousands Of children
will be leaving the hot, dusty cities for the
cool, green country. AS long as the charm
of novelty continues they will be very hap
py. Their restless feet will carry them
through field and meadow, over the hill
side and up the steep iock. Their eager
eyes will spy out all tho floral beauties OF
the forests and they will bring home arm
fuls of the lovely treasures. But the flow
ers and ferns will wlther and be thrown
away. The children will miss the excite
ment OF the city, and before many days of
country have passed, the patient mother or
long-sufIsriug nurse will often hear the
| question, "What can we do now p
One very delightful plan Is to set the
children to making collections OF all tue
wild flowers they can find, and preserving
them for future enjoyment. No extensive
outfit II needed for pressing the specimens.
Let the mother on packing her Saratoga
trunk not forget 10 put in several volumes
Of Patent ONCE Reports, even at the risk of
crowding out one or two much beruffled
dresses. An old Atlas for ferns, Is also
very convenlnt. do not know why Il is
that the Patent Office Reports are so much
better for this purpose than any other book,
unless 1t be that they are so dry that they
more readily absorb the moisture OF the
flowers, but know from experience that
they answer the purpose admirably.
Lot the children commence with the very
first flowers they hnd. They should col
lect both leaves and blossoms, and 1t is
well to press two specimens OF each kind.
Show them how 10 lay the flowers CAREFUL
| ly and smoothly into the pressing book,
with several pages between them, and
when all are In place they should put a
brick or stone on the book. The flowers
should he changed to another book In
day or two. and the hrst book should be
stood up with the leaves well opened that 1t
may become thoroughly dried and ready for
use again. The little ones, after one or
two lessons, will need no assistance. En-
courage them 10 see how many different
flowers they can find. Their bright eyes
will detect little starry blossoms in the
grass, where before they never thought of
looking, and every excursion to the woods
will afford them new specimens for the
Herbarium that is TO be.
The habit of observation thus formed is
almost an education in ITSELF while so
much pleasure is combined with IL that the
children never grow weary Of the under
taking. By the time they return to the
city they, will have a choice collection to
transfer to the Blank Book that is to be
the permanent homo of their treasures, and
many long, dismal wlntry day can be
shortened by spending few hours In care
fully fastening the preserved specimens TO
the pages OF tie Her barium. This can be
done With little mucilage, or by cutting
Sits in the leaf OF the book and drawing the
stems through.
Ferns, also, can be collected and preserv-
ed In the same way. These are lovely for
winter decorations, and the children can
hardly collect 100 many, especially Of the
Maiden's Hair variety. July is the best
month for collecting ferns, and they need
to be pressed long time or they will curl
up when used In vases or baskets. If press
ed in July, 1t is we'll to keep them in the
pressing book until they are wanted for
use In the fall. A basket of ferns and au-
tumn leaves, tastefully arranged, Is one of
the most beautiful ornaments of any room
in winter. A collection of small fern
leaves might also be made for the Herbari-
um.
The different varieties of leaves will al
so ntores the children and older people
toe. A collection of all the different forest
leaves is well worth looking over, and
they are so easily pressed that the juveniles
will take special pleasure in collecting and
preserving them, and their wide-open
eyes will discover new varieties where,
until their attention has thus been called to
the subject, all would have looked alike.
If the stay In the country is prolonged
until the foliage puts on its autumn colors,
there will be little need to encourage the
; children TO collect the bright leaves. They
will come from the woods with their arms
laden with purple and scarlet and golden
branches, and every leaf will seem too
beautiful TO throw away. By all means
preserve them-quantities OF them. They
will gladden. the eyes OF your poor neigh
Dor who could not afford to go to the coun-
try, and who has had only far-otf glimpse
of the glory of the autumn. Let the chill
dren fill all their books with them-any
books-they have SO little moisture in them
that they do not need the Patent Office
Reports to dry them. Get all you can
maple and red-oak and sumac and long
> trailing vines. Send the children for bas.
kets full of the feathery seed vessels of the
wild clematls which grows In all the fence
: corners from Maine to Minnesota. Then
carry them all back to your homes In the
city.
Some cold day next November when the
sky Is gray, and the frst snow is falling
and the winds are waillng around youl
house, and the children partake OF the
spirit of the occAsisn, and are all out o
sorts and don't know what to do with
themselves-thsn bring out your autumn
leaves. Pat some newspapers on a tablt
and some old clothes on the children. Poul
some boiled linseed oil In a cup and give
each child little paint brush and tell hin
. or her, as the ease may be, to cover eacl
u side OF every leaf with a thin coating o
linseed oil. Thhs will bring out the colo
and preserve them from fading.
While the children are so employed you
> can get your ferns and your clematls, anC
;, you can arrange all into baskets, vases
a wreaths, or any way you please. The chill
dren as they work will remind each othe
of the spot in the woods where they founC
those ferns, of the tree they climbed 70.
o those leaves, of the excursion they tool
- for that clematls. And you, listening, will
g feel that their summer In the country wa
i not spent in vain.-Christidn Weekly.