PHAXTOM FLOWERS. 



25 



air. A broad weight may be placed on the top, so as 

 to insure continued immersion. A newspaper, doubled 

 and laid over the top of the leaves, will answer the 

 same purpose as a weight, and is perhaps better, as it 

 keeps its place, while the weight sometimes falls to 

 the bottom of the vessel. The best vessel for the pur- 

 pose is a common earthen jar with a wide mouth, the 

 size to be proportioned to the quantity of leaves to be 

 macerated. 



At the end of six weeks the paper may be removed, 

 and a few of the leaves carefully taken out for ex- 

 amination, and placed in a basin of clean warm water. 

 To do this, the human hand is the best instrument ; 

 but, as many persons may object to thus dipping into 

 what has now become an unpleasant mass of vegetable 

 decomposition, a broad wooden spoon may be substi- 

 tuted. Then, taking a leaf between the thumb and 

 finger, immerse the hand in the warm water, and press 

 and rub the leaf either gently or firmly, according to 

 the strength of its texture. This rubbing process will 

 remove the loose green matter from the surface, and 

 expose to view the fibrous network of the leaf. With 

 those which are strongest, especially the Swamp Mag- 

 nolias, a brush will be needed to efiectually clean 

 them, — a soft tooth-brush will answer best, — but in 

 3 



