Collecting arid Preserving. 163 



Preservins: and Printing of Flowers and Plants, continued, 



work a bit of ink about the size of a pea on a small piece of slate 

 or glass with the dabber until it is perfectly smooth. A drop or 

 two of linseed-oil will assist the operation. Then give the leaf a 

 thin coating, being careful to spread it equally ; now lay the leaf 

 ink downwards on a sheet of paper and place it between the 

 leaves of an old book, which must then be subjected to a moder- 

 ate pressure in a copying-press, or passed between the rollers of 

 a wringing-machine. Impressions can be taken with greater 

 rapidity by laying the book oh the floor and standing upon it for 

 a few seconds. Soft book-paper is the best. Previous to 

 using it, place a few sheets between damp blotting-paper, which 

 causes it to take the ink still more readily. At first you will find 

 that you lay on too much ink. If the impression is too black, use 

 the leaf again. If the midrib of the leaf is too thick, it must be 

 shaved down with a sharp knife. 



3. Leaf -Prints. (Engle.) 1. A small ink-roller, such as 

 printers use for inking type. 2. A quantity of green printers' 

 ink. 3. A pane of stout window-glass (the larger the better) 

 fastened securely to an evenly planed board twice the size of the 

 glass. A small quantity of the ink is put on the glass and spread 

 with a knife, after which it is distributed evenly by going over 

 in all directions with the ink-roller. When this has been care- 

 fully done, the leaf to be copied is laid on a piece of waste paper 

 and inked by applying the roller once or twice with moderate 

 pressure. This leaves a film of ink on the veins and network of 

 the leaf, and by placing it on a piece of blank paper and apply- 

 ing considerable pressure for a few moments the work is done, 

 and when the leaf is lifted from the paper the impress remains 

 with all its delicate tracery, faithful in color and outline to the 

 original. 



To make the ink of proper consistency, add several drops of 

 balsam copaiba to a salt-spoonful of ink. In case the leaf sticks, 

 the ink is too thick. 



Skeletonizing Plants. 1. By Maceration. Place the leaves 

 ill w^ater and allow them to remain in the same water for from 

 three to four months, until the soft matter decays, and the stem 

 may be taken in the hand and the refuse shaken away. There 

 remains behind a network or skeleton of the original object, 



