The times., 1901-06-16
! LUSCIOUS FRUITS IN WAX
The Handiwork of Experts Which
Easily Deceives the Eye.
Models at the Agricultural Depart
ment Which Attract Attention and
Are in Demnnd-Methods Employ
ed in Securing Good Results

| ment Which Attract Attention and
Are in Demnnd-Methods Employ
ed i'm Securing Good Results.
Without doubt there is no city in the
| United States so unique in its character
! as Washington. Visitors coming to the
! city look in at the White House. visit the
! Treasury building the Pension Bureau
! the National Museum, and the Congress
| sional Library and other objects of in
| terest. and return home with a conviction
! that they have done Washington. But
/ they have not. The half has not been told
/ them.
| Experts in many odd and intensely in
| teresting subjects are living and working
/ here who have come from all over the
| United States and elsewhere. The best
| geologists in the world are here. and the
| rpest scholars in almost every branch of
! science can be found in Washington. 1t
| is refreshing TO find that something be
| sides the almighty dolar-though that in
| teresting object is just as much a favOrite
| in the National Capital as anywhere else
| is given attention. One making only a
| casual visit to the various departments
! and divisions of departments cannot fail
| to be convinced that something is being
| done conscientiOusly and well for the good
! OF the American people. Not the least of
| the division of the Department of Agri-
culture which has to do with fruits. ETC..
one of the interesting Kinds OF work
| carried on here is the making Of WAX
models of every variety of fruit which
! is grown in the United States and IN for
I eIgn countries. So accurate are these
models that experts have been unable to
detect the difference between the model
| aud the fruit itself Since the Centennial
! Exposition in 1876, in Philadelphia, re-
| quests for these models have been made
tfa fha4 az rFf live. stf
every exposition, at home and abroad,
| which has been held since then. The
| value OF these models was in the begin
ming not much more than interesting curl
| as standards by which varieties of fruits
are determined. In the beginning the
models were made Of plaster of paris,
which did not permit as accurate color
| ing as wax, and which, besides, were east
| ly defaced by handling, such as shipping.
/ etc, and would not permit so accurate
modelling as wax does.
The first wax models were made by G.
! l.. Brackctt. the POmOlOgiSt OF the De
| partment of Agriculture. Mr.. Brackett
| at that time was president OF the HOTti-
| cultural Society of Iowa, and himself pre-
| pared the wax models for exhibition at
| an annual meeting Of the society. Ihis
and when the Philadelphia Centennial Ex-
| position was held year later they were
! exhibited there and voted the most exact
| and accurate models in existence.
! wax models" said Mir. Bracket, Il had
great difficulty in finding artists who
! could cOl"r them exactly, so as not only
/ TO give an exact CDlOriug but also to re-
produce the markings upon them which
are diagaOstic of the various species Of
I fruits. The artists. 1 found, handled their
| cOlOrs as they were accustomed TO do on
| canvas, and could not hide, the brush
/ marks. So | took hold of the work myself
! and succeeded somewhat beyond my eX-
| pectations. To do this work satisfaCtor-
/ lily one must not only be clever with the
| brush and paints, but also be pomolo-
/ gist.
In making the models we first make
| 2 plaster of paris cast or mold of the
! fruit. This is done by dipping the fruit
| itself into a mass of soft plaster half
| way up the sides Of the fruit. Then we
! make mold of the rest Of the fruit not
! exposed TO the plaster at first This plas-
/ ter is then allowed to harden, and we nave
I two nOlds in the shape of cups on the
/ inside OF which IS a perfect mold of the
| exterior OF the fruit with every elevation
/ and indentation perfectly marked. These
| are placed together, lip to lip. or edge to
/ edge, not unlike the two halves Of an egg
/ Before they are placed together, however.
( the edges Of the molds are smOothed off
/ carefully and notches are cut in one mold,
/ into which tqOth-like projection on the
| other mold titS accurately. This is done
! so as to guarantee that the proper parts
| of the surface of the model shall be placed
/ in the exact corresponding position in
! which they appear in the fruit itself
! Y.
| which is poured into one of the moldS,
not quite filling it The inside surface Of
/ the mOldS are moistened with water. how
| ever, before the wax is poured in, in order
( to prevent the wax from sticking to the
sides Of the mold. After the melted wax
| Is poured into one Of the mOldS and the
| second plaster mold placed in position.
! the mOldS are turned around and around
! in the hands until the wax has become
| cooled and hardened. This process makes
the model hollow and saves wax as well.
/ The molds are now separated and a per
| Itct wax model or the fruit is made. If
| a thin rim Of wax is formed on the model
| where the two mOlds have come together
| II can easily be removed without affecting
the trueness of the model or showing AZ
all.
The painting comes next, and it is
! mere that the greatest care and ability
| has TO be exercised. The coIOrs used are
| the best tube oil colors We use no oil
| at all with the cOlOrs, the oil in the tube
! colors alone being sufficient for our pur-
1 pose. II the colors are found to be too
| thlck they are thinned with little spirits
| OF turpentiue. Every spot. shade and
! what looks like sun-blister or insect
! sting must be accurately reproduced for
! these spots are often characteristics of
| the fruit and cannot. therefore. be omit
! ted. Here is where the pOmologist comes
! IN, Tor he alone knows their value and
! Importance. Brush marks must not show
/ and the color and shade demanded must
! be placed on the wax at the first sweep
/ of the brush. This is the general rule
! out II the true shade is not had at the
! first touch 1t IS permissible to rctouCh
/ again. going from the lighter first shade
! To darker second or third shade until
. the exact COloriug is secured
| w hen peaches, plums. and other
| fruits which have a fuZZ or dust upon
/ their surfaces are to be reproduced the
! facsimile is obtained by means of pow
| der of pulverized fibre of the proper shade
| and color. This is put on with a fine
| haired brush, generally sable. No attempt
| is made to polish the surface OF the mod
! els to make them look attractive as the
| Italian fruit vender polishes his wares
! for our purpose is to reproduce the fruit
| model just as the real fruit appears when
| gathered, that is, as nature made il.
! We use for this purpose common bees
! wax mixed with carbonate of zinc. The
| mixture is more tenacious and vii! not
! crack or become so easily defaced. Gen
| orally the yellow wax IS used, because IN
| apples. pears. and a great many other
| fruits the yellow color appears in nature
| If a lighter shade is desired. white wax
! can be used. The Japanese are clever
| E.odelcrs and we have in our museum a
! small collection Of Japanese models of
| native fruits which was obtained by eX-
/ changing one of our own sets of wax
models They are very exact and quite
| satisfactory"