THE MAKING OF RIBS FOR LEAVES 307 



Other extremity. This strip must be cut lengthwise from the 

 sheet («>. with the grain), or it will be liable to break up when 

 folded. Next take a bristle, and, if for a small leaf with a 

 slender rib, another bristle or short piece of very fine wire, 

 holding them together lengthwise between the left thumb and 

 forefinger, with the point of the first projecting beyond the tip 

 of the finger, and the point of the second bristle or wire where 

 it will extend far enough into the leaf to form a sufficient 

 support, but no farther than is called for by the increasing 

 thickness of the natural rib. Usually more than two bristles 

 or wires are required, the number and size being, of course, 

 determined by the thickness of the rib and the weight of the 

 leaf to be supported, and the point of each succeeding one 

 being placed a little lower than that of the preceding. 



For short leaves, the requisite number of bristles or wires 

 must be taken at once, and the strip of wax folded and 

 pressed around them, and rolled between the thumb and finger, 

 until a smooth and nicely graduated rib results. For the ribs 

 of long leaves, however, two or three of the bristles or wires 

 may be taken first, and, when these are partially covered from 

 the tip downwards, the remainder can be added as required, 

 and a rather wider strip of wax used for the covering ; care 

 being taken, however, to join the wax neatly and evenly, so 

 that no lump or sudden thickening shall appear. 



It is a good plan to make a number of these simple ribs, 

 of various sizes, and store them in boxes ready for use, so that, 

 when it is desired to copy leaves or sprays whilst fresh, no 

 time need be lost in doing that which could have been done 

 equally well beforehand, and especially during the winter 

 months. 



For palmate, palmatifid, or any other form of leaf in which 

 a number of ribs branch from one centre, the ribs are made in 

 the manner described, and, each one having been measured, 



