The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-09-26

useful purposes especially desirable
to hold pot of growing vines that will
droop gracefully over and about them.
'COllemG ldceruna, resembling rosettes OF
pearl gray lace, or full-blown rose
carved in stone, may be found in moist
woods. This handsome species is very
desirable for covering old picture-frames,
lending quaint attraction to the dingy
and discOlOred surface, which they should
nearly hide. Vases of bOx-bOard or of
wood, covered with these lichens, are
handsome receptacles for branches of
autumn leaves or ferns.
A wooden cross having these lichens
so closely glued upon it as to hide its
material looks as if chiselled in some
arabesque pattern from solid granite.
Such a cross should rise from a base COW
cred with the more common flat species
that abound on rocks in pastures and by
the way-side.
Cenomyce rangyerina the reindeer
mOss), that throws up its slender pearl
white branchlets so profusely in pine
forests and woody pastures that they
seem mantled with hOar-frost, is very
pretty for mingling with pyrola and
ground pine in Christmas wreaths. 1t
is so common that its beauty is often
overlooked. An exquisite cross, re-
sembling carved ivory, can be made of
this in the same manner as that from the
COllema, or the moss may be kept in
place by slender wire. Little twigs of
the red berries of black alder (Ile1 GER
ticillata), or of climbing bitter-sweet
(Celastrus scandens), mingled with white
reindeer moss, either in crosses or
wreaths, make a pleasant variety
A rough and apparently suitable ma
terial for artistic management is birch
bark, the outer coat of the birch-tree.
Yet it is susceptible of many transform
atiOns for ornament as well as use.
Betula alba (the white birch, which
COwper calls ssthe lady of the woods, !"
has the most delicate bark. This is a
slender, graceful tree, with glossy foil
age, tremulous at a breath, forever
tWinkling in the sunshine. BetulG Pap
yracea the paper birch), after removing
the outer integument of gray, has 4
more substantial coat of buff, shading
to deep salmon. B. ercelsa (the golden
birch), has coat of pale yellow shin
ing like FURNISHED gold. This is highly
ornamental.
Elegant wall-baskets or wall-pockets
for holding dried leaves, flowers, or
grasses can be made from the golden
birch bark. Make the basket or pocket
from bOX-bOard, of urn or vase shape,
and glue upon this thin layer of the
bark-the layers are easily separated
with the point of knife or large pin.
A basket of Betula loapyraceG is much
improved by gluing upon it here and
there tufts and plumelets of green moss
(Hypnun) in imitation of their growth
upon old trees. Catch-alls, letter racks,
and magazine racks made of cardboard,
covered in this way with birch bark and
MOSES, or of birch bark upon which the
smaller ferns are glued in graceful
groups, are very pretty.
Butterflies and moths, so life-like us
to deceive the keenest eyes, may be
made of the golden birch. They are
handsome additions to basket or a
vase of dried leaves or flowers; are also
attractive ornaments for the wall or for
picture frames. Any picture of these
insects will serve for n pattern, and the
spots and markings are easily made
with pen and ink or water-cOlOrs. Pass
slender wire through the head for the
two antenna; then a pin or wire through
the body, by which to poise it or aflix it
to the wall
These are but few of the articles for
which birch bark can be used. Others
might be mentioned, such as albums,
visiting cards, card receivers, card
eases, jewel cases, handkerchief boxes,
watch stands, notices, all of which, be-
ing more or less Ornamented with de-
calcOmania or water-cOlOrs, possess
much beauty. Elaborate pictures
made from this material, its cuttings
or stitches of red having grotesquc
effect, are among the novelties attempts
ed by some artists.
In enumerating the various objects of
interest to be found in the woods, the
curious veinings and markings of some
trees should not be forgotten. Slices
cut transversely from the trunk or limb
of a tree show the rings of each yearly
growth. These are frequently distorted,
making strange irregularities; and it re-
quires little Imagination to discover in
these markings the outlines of face
the pOrtrait-of some individual. Some
times the aid of pencil is needed to
bring the features into greater promi-
nence, but the resemblance is often very
striking. The discovery of this resem-
blance always creates great amusement.
AT the recent session of the Society
for the Advancement of Science held at
Saratoga, p. w. Shaeffer of POttsville
read a paper on the anthracite coal