p reserving’ Flowers and Fruit. 
Fruit and flowers may be preserved from 
decay and fading by immersing them in a 
solution of gum Arabic and water two or 
three times, waiting a sufficient time be¬ 
tween each immersion to allow the gum to 
dry. This process covers the surfaces of the 
fruit with a thin coating of the gum, 
which is entirely impervious to the air, and 
thus prevents the decay of the fruit or the 
withering of the flower. Roses thus pre¬ 
served have all the beauty of freshly pluck¬ 
ed ones, though they have been separated 
from the parent stem for many months. 
To insure success in experiments of this 
kind, it should be borne in mind that the 
whole surface must be completely covered; 
for if the air only gets entrance at a pin¬ 
hole the labor will all be lost. In preserv¬ 
ing specimens of fruit particular care 
should be taken to cover the stem, end and 
all, with the gum. A good way is to wind 
a thread of silk about the stem, and then 
sink it slowly in the solution, which should 
not be so strong as to leave a particle of the 
gum undissolved. The gum is so perfectly 
transparent that you can with difficulty 
detect its presence, except by the touch. 
Here we have another simple method of 
fixing the fleeting beauty of nature. 
Cut flowers soon droop and fade. Here 
are few of the ways in which they may be 
preserved: Add to the water a few drops 
of camphor or ammonia, a little salt, a 
lump of charcoal; immersing the stems in 
hot water when a boquet is first made, and 
then as they commence to wilt repeat¬ 
ing it, first cutting off the ends. In making 
boquets be careful not to crowd too many 
flowers into one vase. They will last 
longer to say nothing of their improved ap¬ 
pearance, if they stand losely. Never use 
cold water. Let it be luke-warm, and soft 
if possible. Sprinkling flowers in vases 
at night will help to keep them fresh, and 
better still lay them out on the grass where 
they will receive the dew, being careful to 
take them in early in the morning, in sum¬ 
mer, before the ravs of the sun h ave wilted 
them. 
Flat boquets, made in plates or glass plat¬ 
ters, can be built up with a foundation of 
sand. Flowers will last much longer if 
their stems are thrust into wet sand than 
they will in water. The sand can be cover¬ 
ed with moss, and flowers can be arranged 
in any fanciful shape desired, and they will 
not be likely to become disturbed, for the 
sand holds them in place firmly. 
Instead of moss, leaves can be used to 
cover the surface, and make a groundwork 
for the design, or bits of geranium branch¬ 
es, which often put out roots in the damp 
sand, and most of them grow right along 
as if nothing had happened to them. Very 
pretty designs may be made of tin about 
an inch in depth, in diamonds, crosses, and 
letters, and then filled with sand and flow¬ 
ers. 
In working button hole boquets, or ar¬ 
ranging flowers, such as roses, camelias 
etc., for the hair, cut the stems off at right 
angles, and immediately apply hot wax to 
the end of the stalk, then wrap in tin foil. 
The prettiest button hole boquets are the 
most simple; a geranium leaf or two as a 
background with either a tuberose, a rose 
bud, two or three pansies, or some small 
flower; a sprig of mignonette is a pretty 
addition. 
To Restore Faded Flowers. 
Place the flowers in a small empty teacup 
or scent-bottle. Half fill a saucer, in the 
centre of which place the cup or bottle con¬ 
taining the flowers, over which invert a 
tumbler, the top of which rests in the wa¬ 
ter, covering the flowers with the cup and 
excluding the air. The effect is surprising: 
in a short time the faded flowers will re¬ 
vive, the color return in the petals, which 
quickly expand, and the scent return as 
powerfully as when the flowers are first 
plucked. Care should be taken that the 
flowers do not come in contact with the 
sides or bottom of the inverted tumbler. 
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