The morning call., 1890-06-15
THE BEAUTIES
OF FLORA.
How to Preserve Grasses, Ferns
and Autumn Leaves.
To Make Pretty Bouquet Of Skeleton Leaves
for Winter Adornment-A Scrap Of
Flowers, Grasses and Leaves
written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

IN1H" winter bouquets" as they are
called in the East, are not sought after
as in less favored climates. Our State
abounds with beautiful flowers, delicate
ferns and plumy grasses that little prep
aration would turn into tasteful decora-
tons. A cluster of pressed ferns and oak
leaves, or half-wreath of autumn leaves
arranged beneath picture will give to a
room an artistic touch" that paper flowers,
no matter how beautiful, never can. That
which is artificial rarely is artistic.
An enterprising country girl could sup
ply herself with spin money" by gathering
and preserving the woodland treasures,
sending them to the various exchanges to
be sold. They would readily be purchased
by our Eastern visitors to be taken home as
momentos of their trip to California.
have some '.fiye-fnger" ferns from the
White Mountains which an ingenious little
girl gathered and dried, then sold them in
punches of dozen or more for trif1ing
sum to the many visitors to that place. She
was atnO expense, her time was her capital,
and at the end OF the season she had real
lied an amount that was surprising | will
give some hints as to the manner and method
of preserving them that will no doubt be
useful as well as interesting. None of these
ideas are copyrighted" All that's required
is a little care and attention to details to
make success. Gather the leaves. ferns,
grasses, etc., after the dew has dried off or
on dry day, as then they will dry quicker
and are not liable to mold. Lay leaves be-
tween the pages of books OF magazines {;
have more than one thickness of paper be-
tween. Select only perfect specimens. If
you have some giant" ferns make book
of newspapers, put the leaves carefully be-
mt lfnrhf inhf fhQr a
leave them until the moisture has been
absorbed. If they do not get entirely dry
they will shriyel up, and, of course. be
ruined.
Grass, wheat, oats, rye. barley heads, ETC.,
should be gathered before they are thor
oughy ripe, otherwise the seed pods will
shake off and much of their beauty be lost
If dried in the shade
THE COLOR WILL BE GREENER
Than if bleached by the sun. Hang them
with the heads downward and they will
dry straight, or IL dropping effect Is de-
sired place them In the required position
and leave them till dry. Autumn leaves
tints by the following method: Dip the
leaves in melted wax (such as is used in
modelling fruits, white in color into which
you have put few drops of turpentine !;
lay upon newspapers to harden perfectly.
This will make the leaves plable and
DdluEdl anu give SuluCltut SlOoSs 1dho care
the wax is of the right temperature. This
can be ascertained by the irst leaf which
is dipped; If too hot the leaf will shrivel ;
if too cool the wax Will harden In Jumps.
Another way is to iron each leaf with a
middlng hot iron until the moisture is all
out. Beware OF poison oak; its flaming
leaves look so tempting. Should you be so
unfortunate as to be poisoned by it, apply
a strong solution of baking soda. know
of nothing better. 1t will allay the
smarting and itching. Use freely and
avoid scratching, as that helps to
spread the poison. Fairy-like skeleton
leaves are prepared thusly: Boil the
1T the water is hard little borax will
soften it, and soft or melted soap, until you
can separate the pulp from the skin. Take
them out into clear water. Lay the leaf to
be cleaned on piece OF glass, with the up
per side of the leaf next TO the glass; then,
with TOOTH brush, remove all the pulp.
turn the leaf and repeat the process. When
finished. put the leaf to bleach In this solu-
ton: One pound sal soda, dissolved in five
pints soft water, One-half pound chloride OF
lime dissolved in three pnts OF water. AL
low twenty-four hours for the latter to dis
solve. Strain out the sediment, and pour
the clear solution Of lime into that of the
soda The result will be thick butter
milk solution, otherwise the lime was not
strong enough. Filter this perfectly clear.
For leaves use one part of this to one part
of water; for ferns use full strength.
When the leaves are entirely white remove
to clear water; let stand for several hours,
changing two or three times. The last
water should be a little blue.
FLOAT OUT ON PAPER;
Press in books when nearly dry. In mount
ing these dainty leaves use mucilage made
of five parts gum arabic, three parts
white sugar, two parts starch; add q very
hni1 nd ctfr hta1-a Il
white; are handsomest mounted with a
black background. To crystalline grasses
proceed as follows: Take one and half
pounds rock alum, pour on three pints boil
ing water, when quite cool put into q wide
mouthed vessel, hang in your grasses, a few
at time. to not let them get too heavy, or
the stems will not support them. You may
again heat the alum and add more grasses.
By adding little c0l0rlDg 1t Will give va
riety. Then there are tule grasses or cat
tails" as they are commonly called. How
fashionable they were, or are. still, in fact?
Touching the heads Tor tails) lightly over
with mucilage will prevent the 'fuzz" fly
ing about after they are dry. In many
parts of this State have found tiny white
immortelles or Everlasting flowers. Dye
ing some of them adds to their beauty,
bright yellow or vivid scarlet being es-
ornament for the hall. parlor or dining
room. Take straw sun-hat. varnish
with clear varnish, don't silver or gild
it, to tawdry. Tack together basket
wise. Suspend it fiat against the wall,
by. corn yellow aud leaf green MORE
Fasten to the outside of the hat a
bunch of dried oak leaves and acorns.
A touch of lustre paint in dark rich colors
will greatly improve the leaves. If the
acorns loosen fIom the cups. as no doubt
they will. drop of mucilage will hold
fSt. al. - II
eped up with luster paints and applied in
place of the oak leaves and acorns. II you
wore the hat and gathered the grasses your
self during vacation, it will add to its value,
il not to its beauty.
A beautiful scrap album is made with
dried flowers and leaves and uncolored pic
lures. Place them only on one side of a
page, one large picture ON each, or few
small ones let in among the green and
flowers, give
PAGE TO EACH SEASON.
A country scene that would do for spring,
framed in wreath of buttercups, field
daisies and young little leaves. summer
picture Of panSies, with ferns and ribbon
grass. An autumn scene, where the trees
are becoming leafless, in border of real
autumn leaves, golden. brown and red. A
winter scene, with tiny sprigs of box and
cypress, and. If you can get them, real
mistletoe leaves. Give page to wild flow
erS, Will piCtuIcu BiiupoeS Ol Tue WOOL
lands, and if you have meadow picture
wreathe it with common grass. green tangled,
or feathery in flower, frightened with
pressed buttercups. The prettiest page of
all can be made Of ferns, gathered in the
green of spring or their autumn brown or
yellow. The names of trees written here
and there on page filled with specimens of
their leaves. a picture of children swing
ing would not be out of place, or of the
ships and boats for which the timber has
been grown from the ground, just as your
flowers grow. Or picture of the dwell
ings which the trees supply both to
men and to birds, the wooden houses
and the little birds nests. Flowers that
were gathered during summer holiday, or
flowers that were gift, should be put in
with written word to remind you pleas
antly whence they came. Before pressing
certain flowers it will be necessary to re-
move the thick ball or cup from the bios
som. There may be woody leaf stalks too
thick to be pasted firmly down. Little bits
of paper laid across them and gummed at
each end will secure them. From an en-
velope band you can cut several gold
streaks that will make the fastenings quite
ornamental: or the woody stems can be