The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-10-20
Woodland Treasures.
How to Select, Gather and Preserve Ferns
Grasses and Leaves.

Ferns and autumn leaves are every year
becoming more popular as draWing-room
Tastefully arranged they add
greatly to the beauty of room, while it is
but little trouble to gather and preserve
them. Truly, florists keep them as part
of their stock in trade, and you may buy
them all pressed and ready for use by the
quantity if you desire; but there is pres
ent pleasure in collecting them, and a
pleasure afterward in treasuring them as
souvenirs of woodland rambles and pleas
ant country excursions. Delicate ferns
are prettiest; the coarser varieties do not
pay for gathering. 1t is best to take a
large book into the woods, and lay the fern
into it as gathered; but this is not always
practicable! Put them to press, however,
as soon as possible, since some kinds viii
not remain fresh even for single day in
water. Lay them smoothly in a large
volume, and tie string around the book;
this will be all the pressure they will need;
heavy pressure gives them a mashed look,
We have pressed them satisfactorily mere
ly by using folded newspapers put smooth
ly under the movable hat-box in Saratoga
trunk. Autumn leaves require more care,
and the greatest pains must be taken to
keep them from becoming mildewed. A
day or two after putting them TO press ex-
anime them to see if they are damp, and
if so, change the papers between which
they lie. The first step is to dry them,
after which they may be kept indefinitely;
but before using for decorative purposes
there are many methods by which their
beauty may be improved. Some press
them with a warm (not hot waxed iron;
others yarnish them with a solution of
gum-shellac, which imparts brilliant but
stiff appearance, others use ba rely-warm
iron smeared thinly with spermaceti, which
the iron must be warm enough to keep
liquid. Dogwood, maple, oak ond sumack
leaves all keep their color well, and are
beautiful when pressed. The poison ivy
--"tbe Eve finger" it is sometimes called
loses its poisonous properties, unless
again wet, and is among the lovliest of
leaves. In gathering leaves wear pair
of thick gloves for protecting the hands.
Grasses should be gathered in full flower,
aud dried by hanging up in a room where
the sun will not shine on them. Every.
one knows low beautiful these are arrang-
ed in vases, and our native grasses are,
many of them, as effective as the costlier
imported varieties. A few butterflies
caught and chlOroformed, will add much
to the beauty of such a bouquet. In col
lecting your leaves break some clusters and
twigs; these you can press in some news.
papers under your trunk, and you will find
them useful beyond measure when YOU
begin the work of decoration. Sea weeds
also are well worth preserving, making
lovely transparencies, and beautiful also
when grouped in basket or in picture
with ferns. To preserve them, float the
bit Of sea weed in basin Of water and
slip a sheet Of white paper under it while
yet in the water. Take paper aud plant
out carefully, and hold the sheet up by
one corner to let the water drain of, then
dry between sheets of blotting paper.
Gray mosses and lichens are beautiful for
ornamenting crosses and filling baskets.
They require no preservation beyond
merely gathering Philadelphia Times.