Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-06

how the flowers were coming along. No
mariner on q wide sea ever studied charI
or sky more faithfully than she the race
OF the hills.
Every bright, dry morning n dueerly-
clad marty went out to gather flowers.
Each carried a covered tin box, 10 incheS
long. "A wide. and - deep. high strapped
TO the shoulders. The sides of these
boxes contained plenty of small hoieS lor
admitting air. They would hold rom ~
TO C90 blossoms apiece. according to length
Of stem and size OF flower. To fill one
OF them was a gocN forenoon's work FOR
q beginner.
IT THE RIGHT TINE.
Great care had to be taken to gather
the flowers at the right time. AS soon
as the stamens. pistols, or petals, begin TO
,urn dark or change color in any way Il
blossom is too old to press.
The length os stem was determined py
the size of the souvenir books To be rhaue,
4 contract calling for 1900 ong-stemihed
anemones meant that they were 10 NC
used In large books. and that the entire
stem must be gathered. ,
Afternoons and evenings were deN"'cu
IN nutting the flowers in press. ihrec
newspapers were folded once, the 'oP
unon the bottom. mGking about 'hIt! -SiA
,hicknessos. and laid upon 4 'h"'e'
eincIe half sheet of newspaper was la"
, ,beea ON this. from fifteen 10
,wertv-dye blossoms. face
werr carefully placed, If possible without
~wr,rkljng the petals. Above the p'o9-
oms onother single half sheet OF news
u.ner was laid. Above this a single shee'
=, ,Io,tinp-paper and above inns ca'"e
- r.vsnapers. This process was re-
noa,ed as long as IT was convenient "
zach the top OF the pile while si'"h5 ~
w. ,ut q thousand flowers In press uu,
ring an afternoon and evening VIC" 81
r.o,k for one person. Mrs. Cohrdu 'ou'-
| do,ble this amount. but she nlduc '.Ia
evenings. In the busy seasons o''e.
ing eighteen hours ont Oh "c WIN
four. 81 tv,o pieces
Of, inches long ana II
,no,os vide. About hve inches from e'on
M M =, ne bo.rds 4 hole nearly an mon
,n dja,no,cr was bored with "A not IRON
r,ro iron rods. corresponding to the otul'
nary henct-screws used by q cail,n''''
n'are nassed through the holes. lhese
we're worked with small handies'
IN THE PRESS.
~ nut them in the press the no"ei'
- ,.v~-erp UerS wee iili CdiNi"hH v"
,ha hot,.,o board. \ pile two ana ohi
ha1c or three feet high could te piace"'
I'he ton board was thea @cIcwod "o".l' a.
/ ors, moderately tight; in Il few hours 'he
mrcsanre was greatly increased. Iils Is I"
,,ool form Of press Tor ilo"er-coiec'ef'
arvvhere. AFTER Nv rnty-tpur hours w
n,osees were changed. That Is. the TOP
hoard WAS looycned, and the damp news
nancrs between the lowSr6 replaced DF
d. ones. Bnt the flowers were not r.
moved to fresh papers until they Mer:
quite dry.
OF course. there was always more OK
loss moisture in the blossoms and Stems.
Eut We never gather them viii moisture
rain or dew upon them. on account of
us dryness the climate of Colorado Is very
favorable TO flower pressing. y damp
flower nut in press becomes discolorei
| and snoiled. II the blossoms contained an
unusual amount Of moisture trey were
laid upon a single sheet OF wadding in
stead Of newspaper "hen put II press.
, The newspapers were changed daily 20:
two or three days. then less often, until
the flowers were entirely dry. This re-
auired from one 10 two weeks. The
papers used were hung over a line, dried.
and used egain.
In the busy season there were a dozen
Of these presses. always fun, in the
flower-room.
Blossoms, beautiful enough to make city