The morning call., 1892-09-27
A FLOWER And FERN ALBUN.
The Way a San Francisco
Lady Keeps Specimans.
Preserving the Colors of the auties of Flora's
Dcmain-But 1t Requires Patienes
to Do It.

a reporter for The CALL paid visit a
few evenings since to the house Of an ac-
9 naln tance and was introduced to young
lady who was exhibiting to those present
an album in which she had preserved 2
number of the srecimens of flowers and
leaves which she had collected in Yarious
parts of the State.
Each leaf and flower was as dry as tinder
but each was in perfect state of preseryB-
tion. and the color was as bright as when
in life. That was especially remarkable as
to the ferns, OF which she had samples o.
almost every variety known.
"a beautiful selection" suggested the re-
porter, "but how did you manage TO pre-
serve them in such beautiful shape and re-
tain the color so WELL"
The lady locked up, and smiled as she
answered. Il will tell you patience was tie
great secret of success in this case"
"Tou surely do not mean to be under
stood as saying that patience only is re-
quired to prepare such pretty souvenir
album
''Of course not" was the reply. 'but if
had not had the patience TO do the work
proper ly / should not have attained this
result"
rs IN ere any reason why you should not
let others know how you arranged them ?''
why, no, not in the least. If you think
that others would like to possess an album
of leaves and flowers l will tell you, as the
secret is not mine. | was instructed by
friend how to get them into shape. and rs
she did not say that should keep it to my
self | will tell what did upon her inStruc-
tions.
I'm tie first place she said, do not
collect lot to fill the book at once. Make
cnl nnf nm. g sI1 nosN rf
kind that YOU can secure: take ferns. for
instance Get nnmDer OF them and select
half dozen OF those that appear the finest
put tho others aside and then lay the half
dozen on sheet of white paper before you
and examine each critically. Select one oy
two that are as near perfect as they can be;
see that they are free from all blemishes
and are Of good form.
"'Then you get some white paper, such
as newspapers are printed on. for that is
more or less porous and abSOrbs moisture.
Open book of size sufficient 20 receive
the specimen you wish to preserve and on
the open page lay three thickneSSeS of the
white paper. On this place your specimen
face up and carefully arrange it so that no
part of 1t will double under. Then place
upon the specimen three sheets OF white
paper and close the book. taking great care
not to disturb the arrangement OF the speei-
men, Then the book must be placed on the
shelf or table, where il will not be disturbed
and on top OF the book must be placed an
other, weighing about a pound, but large
enough to cover the specimen, for much de-
pends On the pressure being equally dis
tributed.
After the specimen has remained undis-
tnrbed for one day you change the white
paper. top and bottom. and submit 1t to a
heavier pressure. and put it away for forty
eight hours. At the expiration of that time
you renew iae paper again and submit the
specimen 20 another forty eight hours pres
sure 1t is well to dry the white paper be-
fore fire before using, but the paper when
used must not be warm. Generally after
the third treatment the moisture has been
absorbed from the specimen, and it is
almost as perfect in color as when placed
between the leaves. III no damIness Is
observable after the third treatment then
the specimen is ready for the album. An
additional interest Is to write under the
specimen, after it has been stitched to the
page, the name of it and where it was
Obtained" !"