64 ‘AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
down on to a spike, so that it is held in an upright position. 
When the card is full it must be gently placed into the 
bottom of the large box. 
February, 1911 
gently poured off. This must be done with extreme care, 
as the flowers are in a highly brittle condition, and anything 
in the way of rough handling will lead to serious damage. 
The most delicate part is arranging the petals so that they 
will not bend or be crushed out of shape by the sand 
The warmed sand should now be put into a paper bag, 
or some receptacle from which it may be easily poured. 
With a steady hand start to pour the sand into the box, 
letting it trickle slowly in, so that it spreads evenly. Keep 
on, taking note that all the flowers are well supported in 
a vertical position, until the heads of the flowers are reached. 
Now comes the delicate part, and that is to see that the 
arrangement of the petals is in the right order. Remember 
that any crumpled flowers will be pressed into whatever 
position may be assumed by the weight of the sand. When 
the box is full it should be covered and placed aside in a 
dry cupboard. 
The box should be left alone for at least forty-eight 
hours. After the first day, if only a small amount of sand 
As soon as the flowers are dry they are impaled on pins which have 
been pierced through a sheet of stout cardboard 
has been used, the material may have parted with more 
heat than is desirable, and the box may be put into a 
moderately heated oven for a short time; but no great 
amount of warmth is advisable. At last the time will have 
arrived when the box may be uncovered and the sand very 
The impaled flowers are placed in a box and dry hot sand 
carefully poured around them 
When all the sand has been emptied out the card should be 
removed from the box and each blossom taken away from 
the pin. In the case of succulent specimens the stems will 
have shrunk considerably, but the thinner petals will be in 
an almost natural condition. Moreover, the colors will 
be bright and attractive; some tints will be kept better than 
others, but mostly the results will be surprisingly good. 
Whatever state the flowers are in when they are taken from 
the box, if the drying process has been thorough, they will 
keep for an almost indefinite period. 
Flowers preserved in this maner are admirable for the 
decoration of houses. If they are exposed to the light, 
however, care should be taken to see that they are not al- 
lowed to stand in the direct sunshine, as this would tend to 
When gathered the flowers are first suspended in a warm room to ensure 
their absolute external dryness 
fade them. Sprigs with leaves attached may be dried in this 
way, but it is found that much of the intensity of the green 
is lost in the process. Still, carefully preserved foliage often 
adds to the beauty of the dried flowers—beauty of the kind 
that helps the embellishment of a home. 
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