MODELLING THE FLOWERING RUSH 363 



and let it dry as usual. In a day or so lift cautiously and 

 examine for imperfections — which should not, however, be pre- 

 sent if proper care has been exercised in laying down. 



The imperfections, if any, being made good, replace the 

 blade within the mould, and within the hollow of the model 

 introduce a galvanised wire, gauge No. 13 — although No. 12 

 may be required for leaves larger or longer than 4 feet. Let 

 this wire, of whatever gauge, reach two-thirds or more from the 

 bottom of the leaf ; follow this with a thinner wire just over- 

 lapping the other an inch or so ; follow this second wire with 

 another still thinner, and so on, until a very fine one is required 

 near the tip, as all of these wires, although passing one another 

 in their sequence, must lie within the modelled leaf, and not 

 show through it when finished. 



The wires are now fixed in their proper positions by pasting 

 muslin over them, and, when set and dry, rough paper is well 

 pressed into the more hollow, or lower, parts of the leaf, followed 

 by paper pulp if no mould of the other surface of the leaf 

 has been made. This pulp is smoothed down, kept flat at 

 the apex, and gradually hollowed by tools (Nos. 36 and 37) 

 toward the base. When done, weights must be laid at intervals 

 over the model until dry, to prevent it from rising out of the 

 mould. In a day or so, remove it from the mould and trim 

 the waste edges with a sharp knife until the model assumes 

 the condition of the natural leaf, and afterwards use sandpaper 

 to remove all unnecessary roughness, and also to smooth the 

 trimmed edges. In cases where the under face has been made, 

 — and this, as pointed out before, makes the only correct leaf, — 

 the edges are joined together as practised for fungi (see p. 375), 

 and are no more difficult to manage than is the filling of the 

 hollows, as in the other method, by paper pulp. Otherwise, — 

 and this is the better method, — after the most concave half 

 has been properly wired, the two halves are joined together 



