636 HOME AND HOUSEHOLD. 



which fit a plug closely. Arrange the flowers in loose clusters 

 of from three to ten, according to size, placing a variety of 

 flowers in each cluster. Hang the bunches on the rods, so that 

 they will not touch one another, and in the bottom of the box 

 put a metal pan containing a few live coals. Spread out the 

 coals, and sprinkle upon them about three ounces of pulverized 

 sulphur. Then put the lid on securely. Open the hole in the 

 side for a few minutes, until you see the fumes rising, but no 

 flame. Then close the opening, throw a piece of heavy carpet 

 over the box, and leave it for a day. Upon examination, the 

 flowers will be found perfect in form, but bleached almost white. 

 Expose them to the air in a dry place, and they will soon regain 

 their color, but will be of a lighter shade than before bleaching. 

 The box must be kept perfectly air-tight after the fumes begin 

 to rise, and it is better to paste cloth over the edges and 

 corners, to make certain that no air can pass through. 



Preserving Bridal and Funeral Flowers. Let the flowers 

 be fresh and firm, and the color light. Green leaves cannot be 

 treated, hence they must be stripped off. Take the finest qual- 

 ity of paraffin and melt it by placing it in a cup set in boiling 

 water. Keep the paraffin in a liquid state by means of the 

 warm water, and dip the flowers into it, being careful that the 

 paraffin is not hot enough to cook them. Do the work as 

 quickly as possible, so as to make a very thin coating on the 

 flowers. To preserve green leaves, coat them with green wax, 

 or add green powder paint to the paraffin. In preserving flow- 

 ers, it should be observed that those with a thick, full corolla, 

 such as tulips, lilies, etc., are not well adapted to this purpose. 

 When the preserving process is completed, the flowers should 

 be tastefully arranged and placed where they will be free from 

 dust. Glass globes or bell glasses are excellent, and if a few 

 bleached ferns form the background, the effect will be excellent. 



Preserving Autumn Leaves. As the leaves are gathered, 

 place them in a large book, with a weight upon them. When 

 the leaves have become perfectly dry, dip them into white 

 melted wax, to which have been added a few drops of turpentine. 

 Then lay them on clean papers to dry. Care should be used to 

 have the wax the right temperature. If the wax is too hot, the 

 leaf will shrivel ; if too cool, it will adhere to the leaf in lumps. 



