PLANTS OF WAX 



CASTING A WAX LEAF 



When leaves are to be cast from a squeeze mold, the mold must be 

 soaked in hot water and used while warm and moist. Heat keeps the 

 wax from chilling till it fills the mold and moisture prevents it from ad- 

 hering to the plaster. A film of cotton is laid upon one side of the mold 

 better the concave side if either one is so. A piece of cotton-covered 

 hard iron wire 1 is laid along the line of the midrib, with its end projecting 



THREE STAGES IN TRIMMING A VERY SIMPLE LEAF 



to form a stem, and if the leaf be a thick one more cotton is laid on top. 

 Melted wax, tinted green with oil colors, is then poured upon the cotton 

 and the upper part of the mold squeezed down upon it. The whole is 

 plunged into cold water, opened and the cast removed. 



The wax should be bleached beeswax to which should be added 

 about a tablespoonful of Canada balsam to each quart of melted wax, 

 the object of the balsam being to toughen.the wax. Wax should be 



1 For small leaves the cotton covered millinery wire of commerce is employed, 

 but for larger ones it is desirable to use iron wire of a larger size. The wire is tapered 

 with a file or on an emery wheel and then wrapped with cotton by twirling it through 

 the fingers. 



9 



