The Monticellonian., 1905-04-20
JACK FROST $ ART.

inch of this fairy work there are no fewer than 10000 particles The mi mute drops of water upon the window draw together in freezing. and so pro- duce a picture of wonderful beauty. but there is nothing to show why they should take the devices of ferns and other verdure, except that there is some mysterious power at work which causes the frost to adapt itself 10 the life of nature as seen in the fields; but what this power is remains for some scientist of the future to prove.
 The frost pictures produced on window vary according to the degrees of frost registered. If the weather is very keen, the pattern will be coarse; but a curious point is that the action of wind upon the dew which is freez- ing upon the glass makes no difference at all to the pattern. On the other hand, if only a few degrees of frost are registered. the pattern traced will be infinitely finer, and in the gener- ality of eases more beautiful
 Yet another curious point may be noticed if the several panes of glass in window are studied one by one The pattern on each of them is totally different; on one the picture may be made up of minute frost-ferns inter woven with each other in a manner which would defy human skill to imI- tate, while on the adjoining pane the ferns may be larger. and show no in- clination whatever to take upon them selves any definite pattern. Moreover, it will be found that one pattern will be duplicated all over a pane of glass, and on the next pane a different pat tern will be duplicated in the same manner. And yet the two pictures side by side bear not the slightest sim ilarity to each other.
 The study of frost is as yet in it's infancy. and the great savants who have made wonderful discoveries in chemistry and other branches of sci ence have never turned their attention to frost and its wonderful work Here is an example of familiarity breeding contempt, for these frost pictures are so common during the winter months that few people see anything extraor- | dinary in them.
 There is one man. however, who has devoted many years to the study of frost in all it's forms. and that is Mr James Leadbeater. of Rotherham. by whom this photograph was taken. Every winter this gentleman patiently waits for the frost. and then in the l special room he has fitted up for the purpose photographs it in all it's beau l ty. and never once has he obtained two 1 pictures In the least alike His meth cd is to place blackboard about two i feet outside the window. and then 1 from the interior of the room he takes l his photograph. allowing an exposure l of a couple of seconds. and the won ] derful result he has obtained is here ! depicted. There is no elaborate ap- 1 paratus required. simply patience and 1 a little care. and any amateur photog- rapher can secure equally beautiful pictures if he follows the directions i given. and surely nature was never 1 photographed in a more beautiful l form A further interest attaches to | these specimens of the Ice King works. from the fact that they might readily serve as models for many of the most effective designs for wall papers. artistic embroideries and other decorative work of the greatest beauty
 w. NEWMAN FLOWER