56 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
all seem to start. After you have cut the 
tints in the petals and the stamens, take 
out tlie white spaces, with tools best 
a,dapted. Do not try to take all out at 
once ; several little gougings will be neces- 
sary, for here you need to cut out the wood 
•somewhat deeper than you did when cut- 
ting the tints. Next cut away on the out- 
side of the leaves and flowers all the blank 
wood, and your engraving is done. In 
digging out large spaces, you need to be 
careful that you do not injure the parts 
you have engraved. 
The next thing will be to ink the cut, so 
that you can take an impression or 
"'l^voof of your Avork. 
To make a dabber, take a large handful 
of loose wool, and tie it up in a stout piece 
of soft muslin; cover it with a piece of 
Jine silk. Its shape should be circular, 
and large enough so that when tied it will 
make a convenient handle for the dabber. 
Wind this so that the ball part will be 
iirm but yet elastic. Buckskin or kid may 
be used instead of silk, and the dabber 
may also be provided with a turned 
wooden handle. 
A piece of thick glass, or small slab of 
tine stone, will afford a good surface for 
beating the ink fine. To take proofs you 
Tequire the best quality of i^rinter's ink ; 
it should be that which is prepared pur- 
posely for taking proofs. 
Put a small quantity on the slab, and, 
with the dabber, beat it very fine. After a 
few trials, you will be able to tell by the 
looks when it is beaten fine. When well 
beaten, proceed to ink the cut. Dab 
lightly, and let the dabber rest on the 
l)lock a second or so, just long enough for 
the ink on the dabber to come off on the 
lines. Do not press the dabber down, or 
Tub it over the cut, because in that way 
the ink will be smeared into the white 
spaces you have engraved. You want to 
ink the surface of the lines you have cut, 
and not get any ink into the spaces be- 
tween. 
After the block is properly inked, take a 
piece of India proof paper and lay it care- 
tully on the surface of the cut. With an 
ivory paper cutter, rub over the whole 
surface of the picture, being careful, as 
tar as possible, to rub in the direction the 
lines are cut. Hold the paper knife flat 
wise on the cut, and press gently, rubbing 
every part till the whole impression is 
made. If the paper is not too thick, you 
will soon see a faint impression through 
it. You must press very lightly on sharp 
and delicate lines, but may bear down on 
dark places, or those that are quite black. 
In this flower i>iece, you may use a mod- 
erate pressure on all parts except the 
petals. It is well to have your paper 
knife with one end in a blunt point, so 
that it can be used to press upon dark 
touches, as, for example, the centre spots 
of the flowers. But remember to keep the 
paper knife flat— do not use the edge, or 
you will bruise the lines you have cut. It 
is very easy to injure the delicate lines 
that make a wood engraving. A scratch 
or bruised spot will show in all the im- 
pressions made from the cut, so handle 
! your cuts carefully. To keep your proofs, 
I have a scrap book, and put into it proofs 
I of all the cuts you make, in the order in 
I which you engrave them ; number them 
I or date them, and you will thus have a 
' record of your progress. Let each cut be 
made as carefully as if it was worth a 
great many dollars, and you will soon 
perceive that you make progress. But if 
you are careless, and do not take pains, 
you will never make a good engraver. 
The motto is applicable, " Make haste 
slowly." 
If any of my young readers would like 
to ask any questions about anything we 
have gone over, I will answer them. 
Learning to Use the Microscope— II. 
HAVING provided objects for examina- 
tion, the young microscopist is now 
ready to go to work. The light by which 
the examination is made may be either 
daylight or lamplight; good daylight is 
always to be preferred, but good lamp- 
light is a great deal better than poor day- 
light, and it is not always that we can get 
good daylight. Where daylight is used, 
the light reflected from a white cloud or 
from a white wall is best ; direct sunlight 
must never be used for ordinary work. At 
night any good lamp will do; what is 
known as the student lamp is undoubt- 
