To preserve plants, lay over one of the boards two or three sheets of
the paper. (On the uppermost sheet spread out the specimen to be
preserved, imTolding its parts so as to give it as natural an appearance
as possible, raying out the leaves and flowers with particular care.
Over the specimen thus disposed of, place several sheets of paper ; on
the uppermost sheet then spread out another specimen, and so proceed
till all the plants you intend to preserve are laid down ; and having put
over the whole some more sheets of paper, place a board over them
with the weights upon it, which may be a number of clean bricks, if the
iron or lead weights cannot be conveniently procured.
As some plants are delicate and flexible, and others comparatively
thick and hard, the former class will require less weight to be placed
over them, and the latter considerably more. To preserve the color of
flowers when drying, the greatest care is required in changing the
papers every second day, which papers first ought to be well dried at
the fire. With regard to keeping the shape of flowers, the utmost care
and attention is necessary when arranging them on the paper, and
which can be done by having another piece of paper, and gently laying
on part of the flower. The part of the flower so covered with the paper
ought to have a small book placed on it. Then begin and lay out the
other leaves of the flower, and also press it, and so on, until each part
has had the gentle pressure necessary to keep it in position. Let them
remain so for a short time, and then put some heavy weight on them ;
look at them next day, and change the damp paper. Ferns have been
kept for years quite fresh in color by this simple mode of drying.
In three or four days the plants thus treated should be taken out,
together with the paper in which they have been deposited, and laid in
fresh paper with three or four sheets between every two plants, and the
board and weights laid upon them as before. This process must be
continued until the plants are perfectly dried. Each specimen is then
320 ROCKERIES AND GROTTOES.
to be placed on a sheet of dry paper, along with a memorandum of the
name of the plant, the place and time at which it was gathered, the
character of the soil from which it was taken, and any other particulars
tending to illustrate its character and history.
How to Arrange The?n. For this purpose procure a quantity of
writing or printing paper, of stout quality and large size, five or six
sheets of which ought to be stitched into colored covers. Let a suffi-
cient quantity of large post writing paper, cut into half-sheets of folio
size, be in readiness. Each plant is then to be placed on one of these
half-sheets, and fastened to it by means of slips of paper gummed across
in various places. On the top of the page the particulars contained in
the memorandum already referred to should be written. The plants
thus secured to the half-sheets, must then be placed in the order
required (either by the natural or artificial systems) within the leaves
contained in the colored covers, the size of each bundle of specimens
rendering it convenient at any time for purposes of reference. Twelve
of such parcels, so contained, in the same number of colored covers can
then be tied up in covers of stout pasteboard, and laid up in a cabinet
or box suited to the purpose.
Page 283
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
To preserve plants, lay over one of the boards two or three sheets of the paper. On the uppermost sheet spread out the specimen to be preserved, unfolding its parts so as to give it as natural an appearance as possible, raying out the leaves and flowers with particular care. Over the specimen thus disposed of, place several sheets of paper ; on the uppermost sheet then spread out another specimen, and so proceed till all the plants you intend to preserve are laid down ; and having put over the whole some more sheets of paper, place a board over them with the weights upon it, which may be a number of clean bricks, if the iron or lead weights cannot be conveniently procured.
As some plants are delicate and flexible, and others comparatively thick and hard, the former class will require less weight to be placed over them, and the latter considerably more. To preserve the color of flowers when drying, the greatest care is required in changing the papers every second day, which papers first ought to be well dried at the fire. With regard to keeping the shape of flowers, the utmost care and attention is necessary when arranging them on the paper, and which can be done by having another piece of paper, and gently laying on part of the flower. The part of the flower so covered with the paper ought to have a small book placed on it. Then begin and lay out the other leaves of the flower, and also press it, and so on, until each part has had the gentle pressure necessary to keep it in position. Let them remain so for a short time, and then put some heavy weight on them ; look at them next day, and change the damp paper. Ferns have been kept for years quite fresh in color by this simple mode of drying.
In three or four days the plants thus treated should be taken out, together with the paper in which they have been deposited, and laid in fresh paper with three or four sheets between every two plants, and the board and weights laid upon them as before. This process must be continued until the plants are perfectly dried. Each specimen is then
320 ROCKERIES AND GROTTOES.
to be placed on a sheet of dry paper, along with a memorandum of the name of the plant, the place and time at which it was gathered, the character of the soil from which it was taken, and any other particulars tending to illustrate its character and history.
How to Arrange The?n. For this purpose procure a quantity of writing or printing paper, of stout quality and large size, five or six sheets of which ought to be stitched into colored covers. Let a sufficient quantity of large post writing paper, cut into half-sheets of folio size, be in readiness. Each plant is then to be placed on one of these half-sheets, and fastened to it by means of slips of paper gummed across in various places. On the top of the page the particulars contained in the memorandum already referred to should be written. The plants thus secured to the half-sheets, must then be placed in the order required (either by the natural or artificial systems) within the leaves contained in the colored covers, the size of each bundle of specimens rendering it convenient at any time for purposes of reference. Twelve of such parcels, so contained, in the same number of colored covers can then be tied up in covers of stout pasteboard, and laid up in a cabinet or box suited to the purpose.