PRESSING WILD FLOWERS 127 



the results fully justify all the care and trouble 

 involved. Several snippets are sometimes 

 used for one flower. They act as pads round 

 knobby stigmas and prevent the upper petals 

 being torn by lying directly over these. As 

 the stigma is pressed flatter and flatter, these 

 snippets will be removed one by one when the 

 drying-sheets are changed. 



In the case of a Buttercup, for instance, you 

 will slip a tiny piece of blotting-paper between 

 the upper petals and those lying immediately 

 upon the folder. A second snippet will cover 

 the upper petals. Each flower will be sepa- 

 rately treated, but fully opened ones will re- 

 quire only one piece, and as these are laid down 

 the upper petals should be stroked open with 

 the brush. Begin at the left ; when the flowers 

 and leaves nearest this side have been treated, 

 it is wise to cover them with a part of the upper 

 page of the folder before treating the rest. It 

 may be held in place with the left wrist and 

 fore-arm while the fingers of the left hand hold 

 its upper edge and guide it further and further 

 over the plant as the right hand prepares the 

 flowers and leaves. If the leaf segments are 



