THE CASTING 6- MODELLING OF FRUITS &- FUNGI 371 



place a sheet of this wax upon green fabric, and cut a very 

 narrow strip, commencing as a mere point, and increasing 

 the width gradually as it proceeds ; lay this upon the 

 covered wire, fabric outwards, and delicately unite the two 

 from the point to where the first joint should occur ; to make 

 this, fold the strip into a minute pleat or notch, which must not 

 be tightly pressed, and then proceed as before until of the 

 requisite length. The lower or thicker portion will require 

 similar treatment on both sides of the wire. 



Casting and modelling Fruits 



The modelling of fruits which may be required as ac- 

 cessories is described in a work written by the late Mr. J. 

 H. Mintorn.^ He does not appear, however, to have described 

 the best method of casting fruits which will not " draw " easily 

 from their moulds, i.e. the method previously described in some 

 of these pages for piece-casting ; but the reproduction of such 

 objects is simple when viewed by the light of the instructions 

 given for the execution of more difficult objects, such as the 

 sepia (see pp. 286-289). The "paper mould" mentioned by 

 him is simply a ring of stiff paper surrounding the fruit to 

 be cast, and into which the plaster is poured. 



Casting and modelling Fungi 



Such fungi as the ordinary mushroom, and some " toad- 

 stools " which assume a close pyramidal form like the common 

 yet delicately-flavoured " toadstool," Coprinus comatus, are, when 

 young, much easier to cast from than when opened out in age, 

 or when they resemble the shapes of others of the same genus. 



Assuming that one or more specimens of this edible toad- 

 stool are procured, a small casting-box, formed by two zinc 



1 Lessons in Flower and Fruit Modelling in Wax, pp. 103-111. 



