Arrange the flowers in clusters of two to a dozen, according to the
size. Tie them and hang the clusters to the rod, but not near enough
to touch each other. Put a shovel of live coals in an iron pan, spread-
ing them over the bottom. Place it in the box, and sprinkle over the
coals two ounces of sulphur. Then place the lid on the box. 'The
small door is kept open for a few minutes. Glance in to see that there
are no flames, but only the fumes of the sulphur. Close the door, throw
a thick blanket over the box, and leave it for twenty-four hours.
Upon exposing the flowers to the air, the color which has been
bleached out of them will return. Should you desire to brighten them,
it can be done by the application of a little paint. As the success of
this experiment depends entirely upon the exclusion of the air, the box
must be as air-tight as it can be made. The room, too, in which the
box is placed must be perfectly dry.
Or, fruit and flowers may be preserved from decay and fading, by
immersing them in a solution of gum arabic and water✪ To Preserve Flowers and Fruit, two or three
times, waiting a sufficient time between each immersion to allow the
gum to dry. This process covers the surface of the fruit with a thin
coating of the gum, which is entirely impervious to the air, and thus
prevents the decay of the fruit or the withering of the flowers. Roses
preserved in this way have all the beauty of freshly-plucked ones,
though they have been separated from the parent stem for many
months. To insure success in experiments of this kind it should be
borne in mind that the whole surface must be completely covered ; for
if the air only gets entrance at a pin hole the labor will be lost. In
preserving specimens of fruit particular care should be taken to cover
the stem end and all with the gum. A good way is to wind a thread
of silk about the stem and then sink it slowly in the solution, which
should not be so strong as not to leave a particle of the gum undis-
solved. The gum is so perfectly transparent that you can with difficulty
detect its presence except by the touch. Here we have another simple
method of fixing the fleeting beauty of nature.
COLLECTING PLANT SPECIMENS. 319
COLLECTING PLANT SPECIMENS.
The articles requisite for the purpose consist of a dozen quires of
smooth soft paper of a large size, six boards of about an inch in thick-
ness, and four iron or lead weights (two of them about thirty pounds
and the two others about half that weight) and a botanical box of tin
and of such dimensions as shall be most convenient for the collector.
The plants to be preserved ought, if possible, to be gathered in dry
weather ; but, if the weather be wet, they ought to be laid out for some
time on the table till partially dried, and when the roots' are taken up
along with the stems, they ought to be washed and then exposed to the
air for the same purpose.
Page 282 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Arrange the flowers in clusters of two to a dozen, according to the size. Tie them and hang the clusters to the rod, but not near enough to touch each other. Put a shovel of live coals in an iron pan, spreading them over the bottom. Place it in the box, and sprinkle over the coals two ounces of sulphur. Then place the lid on the box. 'The small door is kept open for a few minutes. Glance in to see that there are no flames, but only the fumes of the sulphur. Close the door, throw a thick blanket over the box, and leave it for twenty-four hours.
Upon exposing the flowers to the air, the color which has been bleached out of them will return. Should you desire to brighten them, it can be done by the application of a little paint. As the success of this experiment depends entirely upon the exclusion of the air, the box must be as air-tight as it can be made. The room, too, in which the box is placed must be perfectly dry.
Or, fruit and flowers may be preserved from decay and fading, by immersing them in a solution of gum arabic and water, two or three times, waiting a sufficient time between each immersion to allow the gum to dry. This process covers the surface of the fruit with a thin coating of the gum, which is entirely impervious to the air, and thus prevents the decay of the fruit or the withering of the flowers. Roses preserved in this way have all the beauty of freshly-plucked ones, though they have been separated from the parent stem for many months. To insure success in experiments of this kind it should be borne in mind that the whole surface must be completely covered ; for if the air only gets entrance at a pin hole the labor will be lost. In preserving specimens of fruit particular care should be taken to cover the stem end and all with the gum. A good way is to wind a thread of silk about the stem and then sink it slowly in the solution, which should not be so strong as not to leave a particle of the gum undissolved. The gum is so perfectly transparent that you can with difficulty detect its presence except by the touch. Here we have another simple method of fixing the fleeting beauty of nature.
COLLECTING PLANT SPECIMENS. 319
COLLECTING PLANT SPECIMENS.
The articles requisite for the purpose consist of a dozen quires of smooth soft paper of a large size, six boards of about an inch in thickness, and four iron or lead weights (two of them about thirty pounds and the two others about half that weight) and a botanical box of tin and of such dimensions as shall be most convenient for the collector.
The plants to be preserved ought, if possible, to be gathered in dry weather ; but, if the weather be wet, they ought to be laid out for some time on the table till partially dried, and when the roots' are taken up along with the stems, they ought to be washed and then exposed to the air for the same purpose.
Records on this page
To Preserve Flowers and Fruit