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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the bed, and then came a surprise at the place in which I put it. 

 In the little " lean-to " greenhouse, 20 feet by 9 feet, was a three- 



incb flow and return pipe, 

 running round the floor of 

 the house next the wall, 

 back and front ; at the 

 back is a stage supported 

 by uprights and bearers, 

 from which the shelves are 

 bracketed, a. Some rough 

 feather-edged boards, 5, 

 were nailed to the under 

 side of the bearers, and 

 overlapped each other so 

 as to form a waterproof 

 roof; under this the bed 

 c was made (enclosing the 

 pipes d), 12 feet long, 

 barely 2 feet high at back, 

 and 2 feet 6 inches wide 

 at the bottom. The fire 

 was lighted twice a week to give gentle bottom-heat, and bring the 

 camellias in bloom on the stage overhead. The bed came into 

 bearing in less than six weeks after spawning, or a fortnight before 

 Christmas, and produced a good succession. The only trouble was 

 an occasional sprinkle of tepid water, for it never had a particle of 

 covering of any kind. 



I would ask our amateur friends who are fond of mushrooms, 

 and have greenhouses that by a little ingenuity might be adapted to 

 grow them in a similar way to this, whether a neat mushroom bed 

 under the stage would not look more tidy than broken pots, dead 

 and dying plants, etc., that too often accumulate there, to say nothing 

 about the pleasure and profit to be derived by growing a plentiful 

 crop of this useful esculent ? CE. 



How TO TAKE Leaf Impressions, — Hold oiled paper in the smoke of a lamp, 

 or of pitch, until it becomes coated with the smoke ; to this paper apply the leaf of 

 which you wish an impression, having previously warmed it between your hands, 

 that it may be pliable ; place the lower surface of the leaf upon the blackened sur- 

 face of the oiled paper, that the numerous veins that are so prominent on this side 

 may receive from the paper a portion of the smoke ; lay a paper over the leaf, and 

 then press it gently upon the smoked paper ; Avith the finger, or with a small roller 

 (covered with woollen cloth, or some like soft material), so that every part of the 

 leaf may come in contact with the sooted oil paper. A coating of the smoke will 

 adhere to the leaf. Then remove the leaf careiully, and place the blackened surface 

 on a piece of white paper, not ruled, or in a hook prepared for the purpose, covering 

 the leaf with a clean slip of paper, and pressing upon it with the fingers or roller, as 

 before. Thus may be obtained the impression of a leaf, showing the perfect outlines, 

 together with an accurate exhibition of the veins which extend in every direction 

 through it, more correctly than the finest drawing. And this process is so simple, 

 and the materials so easily obtained, that any person, with a little practice to enable 

 him to apply the right quantity of smoke to the oil paper and give the leaf a proper 

 pressure, can prepare beautiful leaf impressions, such as a naturalist would be proud 

 to possess. Specimens thus prepared can be neatly preserved in a book form, inter- 

 leaving the impressions with tissue paper. 



