August, 1909 
The fern frond applied to a table-cloth 
foliage is produced with great precision, a very regular 
effect is the result. Again, the young fronds of some of the 
common ferns provide the wherewithal for the making of 
the most charming designs. A glance at one or two of the 
accompanying photographs will show the truly artistic 
nature of these patterns, and the instances shown are only a 
few out of an almost endless range of subjects which would 
be possible. Curiously enough, it is found that among 
nearly all kinds of succulent plants there exists a strong 
tendency to develop in a strikingly designed pattern. What 
could be more neat than the proper little rosette of the 
Sempervivum; each one of the small leaves seems to fit 
exactly into its place and to be indispensable to the success 
of the pattern. This rigidity of design is to be seen to a 
greater extent among the Cacti than anywhere else. Some 
of these plants might very well be patterned on the most 
exact geometrical principles, and by their appearance sug- 
gest that they have been cast in a mold. 
There is no doubt that the best idea of the value of any 
nature design is to be obtained by arranging the plants on 
a black velvet background. The material seems to throw 
up the outline to an extent which is not observed when a 
white or neutral setting is used. It is a very simple matter 
to fasten a piece of the velvet on to a flat board, nailing it 
down so that the substance is pulled tight and there are no 
wrinkles. It is most important that the pattern-making speci- 
mens should be quite fresh, and in order to keep them in this 
condition it is a good plan to place them as they are collected 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
305 
into a tin. Herein they will keep fresh and firm for a long 
while. Of course, no unnecessary delay in transferring the 
design is permissible when once the specimens have been 
gathered, as even with the utmost care plants will all too 
Symmetry in fern tronds 
soon become shriveled, when they are useless for the purpose. 
Probably the surest mode of securing the nature pattern 
is by means of photography. ‘he plants or. parts of plants 
having been arranged on the velvet background, are simply 
placed in front of a camera and the resulting print is used 
as the design. Of course, the exact process depends some- 
what upon the article to be ornamented, but the transference 
of the pattern will be accomplished by means of tracing and 
carbon papers. By resorting to photography there is no 
doubt that the most faithful reproduction of the design is 
obtained, but, on the other hand, the work might very well 
be drawn out. Any one who was a sufficiently good draught- 
man to copy the nature pattern might easily dispense with 
the camera. It may be well, again, to insist on the fact that 
in order to keep the spirit of the new art we must try to 
reproduce the original form as nearly as is possible. The 
artist will almost certainly feel a great desire “‘to improve 
upon Nature,” and in doing so will, of course, destroy the 
whole point of the undertaking. Special care should be 
taken to ensure that strength of outline which adds so much 
to the realism of the pattern; this will be found to be of a 
good deal more importance than the details of the interior. 
With the novice it is strongly to be advised that the worker 
should spend a short while in examining the parts of the 
plant before any attempt is made to reproduce the design in 
Arranging nature designs 
Transferring the pattern to the linen 
