MODELLING THE COLTSFOOT 335 



the stem with wax, and fix another whorl of blossoms, repeating 

 this until the cluster is complete. 



The stems require no special instructions, and the leaves 

 are made by first taking plaster moulds, as previously described, 

 and afterwards modelling upon these with wax and fabric in 

 the usual manner. 



Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara, Linn. 



This herb, whose golden blooms — borne upon a practically 

 leafless stalk, save for the small scales appressed thereto — 

 come long before the large radical leaves appear, is found 

 commonly upon stony clays or waste dry lands, and, like the 

 lesser celandine (see p. 3 1 7), is one of the earliest, if not the 

 earliest, flowers to welcome the wheatear or the chiffchaff", 

 shuddering in the wintry breeze which " lingers in the lap of 

 spring." 



It is, for all its commonness, a lovely thing, and may take 

 some credit for being extremely difficult and tiresome to model 

 correctly. Commence by taking two wires or doubling one, 

 turning over the ends, and arranging upon them a small piece 

 of folded yellow wax to form a centre. Take a strip of yellow 

 fabric and cut very finely to form the florets ; wind around 

 until the ends meet, cut off the remainder, and press the base 

 of the florets on to the base of the centre. Resuming the 

 strip of fabric, wind it again around, but at a little higher 

 elevation than the first, and cut off" as before ; repeat this 

 operation yet a third time, and, when tinted to nature, lay it 

 upon the fingers of the left hand, and scratch and separate the 

 florets with the set needles (Fig. Q, Plate II.). 



The involucre is made from double fabric, and in this 

 instance is not cut from a disc but from a straight strip, and 

 is modelled to shape with a blanket-pin ; the tips should be 

 tinted to a brownish hue, and then the combined involucre is 



