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To Stain Dried Grass

There tapping), as any horizontal motion or brush- are few prettier ornaments, and none more ing action will infallibly break the skeleton. economical and lasting, than bouquets of Never attempt to touch the leaves or the dried grasses, mingled with the various unskeleton in this state with the fingers, as when they are soft their own weight will often break them. Well-grown leaves should always be chosen, and be thoroughly examined for flaws before soaking. Leaves containing much tannin cannot be skeletonized by this process, but are generally placed in a box with a number of caddis worms, which eat away the fleshy parts, when the skeletons can be bleached by the method given in the next receipt. Holly leaves must be placed in a changeable flowers. They have but one fault; and that is, the want of other colors besides yellow and drab or brown. To vary their shade, artificially, these flowers are sometimes dyed green. This, however, is in bad taste, and unnatural. The best effect is produced by blending rose and red tints, together with a very little pale blue, with the grasses and flowers, as they dry naturally.

The best means of dyeing dried leaves, flowers, and grasses, is to dip them into the spiritseparate vessel, on account of their spines, uous liquid solution of the various compounds which would be apt to damage other leaves; of analine. (See Nos. 2552, &c.) Some of they make beautiful skeletons, and are suffi- these have a beautiful rose shade; others red, ciently strong to be moved with the fingers. blue, orange, and purple. The depth of color (See No. 6170.) can be regulated by diluting, if necessary, the 6169. Το Bleach Skeleton Leaves. original dyves, with spirit, down to the shade A good way of bleaching skeleton leaves is desired. When taken out of the dye they should be exposed to the air to dry off the first to be well dried at the fire. With regard spirit. They then require arranging, or set- to keeping the shape of flowers, the utmost ting into form, as, when wet, the petals and care and attention is necessary when arrangfine filaments have a tendency to cling to- ing them on the paper; this can be done by gether. A pink saucer, as sold by most having another piece of paper and gently laydruggists, will supply enough rose dye for ing it on part of the flower; the part of the two ordinary bouquets. The pink saucer flower so covered with the paper ought to yields the best rose dye by washing it off have a small book placed on it. Then begin with water and lemon juice. The analine and lay out the other leaves of the flower, dyes yield the best violet, mauve, and purple and also press it, and so on, until each part colors.