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

|, Household Decoration-Other Artistic
Suggestions.
From Harper's weekly.]
The fashiOn-gaining so rapidly in
favor during the past few years-of
decorating our apartments for winter
with the bright-hucd leaves of autumn,
leads many to seek the woods as soon
as the foliage assumes itsripening tints
The term Tipening is perhaps novel to
some ears, but cOnnOisseurs in cOlOrs
have discovered that unless the gayly
gree of perfection, its cOlOrs become
dingy in drying.
1t seems almost sacriligious to mar
the symmetry of well-grown tree by
cutting or breaking its branches. A
few may sometimes be removed without
detracting from its beauty; but when
the ground is strewn with leaves, it is
needless to do this. From such profu-
sion rare selections of cOlOring-
tied, marbled, striped, blotched, or
shaded-can be made that are unattain-
able in single branches: and these may
be SO artistically combined and mounted
on wires as to serve the purpose of nat
ural branches. A few green leaves
greatly enhance the brilliance of the
more highly cOlOred. Both reds and
yellows become more vivid in contrast
with green-a fact too often ignored.
Rather stout wire is needed for the
main stem of 4 garland or branch;
more slender to strengthen and render
plant the leaf stems. Common wOrsted,
Berlin or Germantown, in red, maroon,
or brown, is excellent for winding the
stems to Wires, after the manner of ar
titicial flower sprays. Care in arrang-
ing the leaves, according both to color
and size, is necessary to give satisfac-
tory results. A bOugh or branch
should begin at the apex with very
small leaf, and the leaves gradually in
crease in size toward the base. This
being affixed to the main stem by wind
ing the worsted, other twigs, similarly
made, can be added rs the work pro-
ceeds.
The best way to prepare the leaves
for they having been washed
from all impurities to press them
between clean white papers under a
weight. Where one has not pressing
boards designed especially for this pur-
pose, the papers containing the leaves
can be laid under a heavy box or a pile
of books, After two or three days they
should be fully dried and smOOthed with
a warm (uot hot iron. If a bit of wax
or of paraffine be rubbed on the face of
the iron Just as each leaf is ironed, a
gloss and elasticity will be impaired,
and ut the same time the colors height
ened and fixed. Leafy branches are
most easily dried in this way, without
previous pressing.
BY means of warm sand small bOughs
of leaves can be dried with their twigs
and leaves in natural position. Seed
ling naples, only three or four inches
high, that are SO abundant around full
grown maple-trees, are very lovely dried
in this manner. A common wire sieve,
quantity of clean sand, and a box, the
bottom of which can be easily removed,
are the materials needed. Set the sieve
within the box, and in the interstices of
the wire-wOrk place the stems of the
NAPLES or the base of the branch, with
every leaf posed rs usual. Pour the
sand, heated to blOod-warmth, through
paper cone or tunnel around and upon
the branches and leaves till all are COW
cred. Set the box in the sun or on the
back of stove or range. If in the sun,
two or three days will be required to dry
them; on a stove or range, with con-
slant, steady warmth, twenty-four hours
will probably suffice. At the end of that
time remove the bottom of the box and
let the sand pass out. The little trees
and branches will remain in the sieve,
every leaf and twig gracefully balanced,
their colOrs clear and fresh, though in
texture SO firm as never to wilt or shrivel.
A camel's-hair pencil dipped in melted
wax or paraffine should finish them.
Arrange the trees in dish of sand, lay
green moss upon the surface, and you
have a pretty parlOr ornament.
The leaves of the maple and oak, and
of few woody shrubs, such as the
berry-bearing plants, best repay the
pains taken for preservation. Of the
naples, deer rubruna the red maple),
whose foliage turns deep crimson in au-
tumn, and A. saclsarinum Ohe sugar or
rock maple), exhibiting all the shades of
red and yellOw-sOmetimes in the same
leaf-from maroon and orange to deli
cate cherry and rose-colOr or pale cream,
will be sufficient.
Select from the oaks Quercus coccinea
(the scarlet oak), with its glowing red
leaves, and Q. discolor (the swamp white
oak), with rich brown deeply scalloped
leaves. These give elegance of form
and beauty of color. When pressed and
dried they are very effective as decora-
I tons.
The leaves of the sumacs, in their au-
tumn tints of .claret and crimson and
gold, are fine material for wall bouquets.
Resembling ferns in their pinnatifid
form, they group well with them, and
add brilliance to their delicate hues.
The most desirable are Rhus captsllinG,
r. typhina, and Il. glabra. These hang
out their gorgeous orifiammes in rocky
pastures and by barren hillsides just as
summer visitors are fastening home
ward; and all the winter-after they
have been nicely pressed-like the ban
ners in old barOnial halls, they will lend
glory and grandeur to many a humble
home.
The boughs of some old trees are so
crooked and curved as to resemble the
u II