294 HORTUS GRAJVIINEUS AVO B U RN EN SIS. 



fumigation, is n platform of laths raised a little off 

 the ground : on it the straw is laid ; an iron pan holds 

 the burning sulphur below, and a large tub is whelmed over 

 all, to confine the fumes near the straw till the blanching is 

 complete. 



When straw is immersed in diluted acid, it should 

 be whole, for if cut, the acid will get into the interior, 

 which can answer no good purpose in discharging the 

 colour. 



To imitate the Leghorn plait in the most perfect manner, 

 the straw should be plaited the reverse way of the common 

 English split-straw-plait. In this last, the straws are flat- 

 tened by a machine made for the purpose, but the Leghorn 

 plait has the straw wrought without flattening, and pressure 

 is applied after the plait is made. These two points should 

 be observed by those who wish to rival the Italian plaiters. 

 By reversing the common mode of plaiting, the fingers have 

 a much greater power in knitting firmly and intimately the 

 straws, and the unflattened state of them allows of their 

 being more closely knitted ; a circumstance which gives the 

 appearence of fineness to the real Leghorn plait, which, had 

 the straw been flattened by milling, would have given it a 

 coarse and unfinished appearance. It is feasible to appre 

 hend that Leghorn plait may be successfully imitated in this 

 country, and from perennial grasses of our own growth, pro- 

 vided we adopt the Italian method of preparing and manu- 

 facturing the article. 



The foregoing pages contain the substance of the talented 

 author's discoveries, and results of his practical experiments 

 during his laborious investigation of the natural order of the 

 grasses and other plants useful in agriculture. Every expe- 

 riment which he conducted was executed with the greatest 

 accuracy. Whether made in the field or garden, or in his 

 laboratory, the most trifling minutiae were attended to, in 

 order that he might not be deceived in the consequences. 

 His descriptions are equally precise : he was in the pursuit 



