Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 7, ETM-GOA

FLO [ 3°4 J FLO
Flowers, fuffentig any alteration or decompofnion ; and other
v flowers are fome of the conftituent parts of the body
fubje&ed to fublimation.
Colours of Flow As. See the article Colour (of
Plants).
Colours extradedfrom Floiters. See Colour-Making,
n° 40.
Preferring of Floiters. The method of preferving
flowers in their natural beauty through the whole year
has been much fought after by many people. Some
have attempted it by gathering them when dry and not
too much opened, and burying them in dry fand ; but
this, though it preferves their figure well, takes off
from the li.velinefs of their colour. Muntingius pre¬
fers the following method to all others. Gather ro-
fes, or other flowers, when they are not yet thorough¬
ly open, in the middle of a dry day- put them into a
good earthen vefiel glazed within; fill the veflel up to
the top with them ; and when full fprinkle them over
■with fome good French wine, with a little fait in it;
then fet them by in a cellar, tying down the mouth
of the pot- After this they may be taken out at plea-
fure; and, on fetting them in the fun, or within
reach of the fire, they will open as if growing natural¬
ly ; and not only the colour, but the iinell alfo will be
preferved.
The flowers of plants are by much the moft difficult
parts of them to preferve in any tolerable degree of
perfe&ion ; of which we have in (lances in all the col-
leftions of dried plants, or horti fed. In thefe the
leaves, ftalks, roots, and feeds of the plants appear
very well preferved ; the ftrong texture of thefe parts
making them always retain their natural form, and
the colours in many fpecies naturally remaining. Bat
where thefe fade, the plant is little the worfe for ufe as
to the knowing the fpecies by it. But it is very much
otherwife in regard to flowers: thefe are naturally by
much the moft beautiful parts of the plants to which
they belong ; but they are fo much injured in the com¬
mon way of drying, that they not only lofe, but change
their colours one into another, by which means they
give a handle to many errors ; and they ufually alfo
wither up, fo as to lofe their very form and natural
ftiape. The primrofe and cowflip kinds are very emi¬
nent inftances of the change of colours in the flowers
of dried fpecimens : for thofe of this clafs of plants ea-
fily dry in their natural (hape ; but they lofe their yel¬
low, and, inftead of it, acquire a fine green colour,
much fuperior to that of the leaves in their moft per¬
fect ftate. The flowers of all the violet kind lofe
their beautiful blue, and become of a dead white : fo
that in dried fpecimens there is no difference between
the blue-flowered violet and the white-flowered kinds.
Sir Robert Southwell has communicated to the world
a method of drying plants, by which this defefit is
propofed to be in a great meafure remedied, and all
flowers preferved in their natural lhape, and. many in
their natural colours.—For this purpofe two plates of
iron are to be prepared of the fize of a large half-iheet
of paper, or larger, for particular occafions: thefe
plates muft be made fo thick as not to be apt to bend;
and there muft be a hole made near every corner
for the receiving a ferew to fallen them clofe together.
When thefe plates are prepared, lay in readinefs feve-
ral ftieets of paper, and then gather the plants with
N°128.
their flowers when they are quite perfedl. Let this be Fl -wer*.
always done in the middle of a dry day ; and then lay » 'J
the plant and its flower on one of the (heets of paper
doubled in half, fpreading out all the leaves and petals
as nicely as poflible. If the ftalk is thick, it muft be
pared or cut in half, fo that it may lie flat; and if it
is woody, it may be peeled, and only the bark left.
When the plant is thus expanded, lay round about it
fome loofe leaves and petals of the flower, which may
ferve to complete any part that is deficient. When all
is thus prepared, lay feveral (heets of paper over the
plant, and as many under it; then put the whole be¬
tween the iv>n plates, laying the papers fmoothly on
one, and laying the other evenly over them : ferew
them clofe, and put them into an oven after the bread
is drawn, and let them lie there two hours. After
that, make a mixture of equal parts of aquafortis and
common brandy ; (hake thefe well together, and when
the flowers are taken out of the preffure of the plates,
rub them lightly over with a camel’s-hair pencil dipped
in this liquor; then lay them upon fre(h brown paper,
and covering them with fome other (heets, prefs them
between this and other papers with a handkerchief till
the wet of thefe liquors is dried wholly away. When
the plant is thus far prepared, take the bulk of a nut¬
meg of gum-dragon; put this into a pint of fair wa¬
ter cold, and let it (land 24 hours ; it will in this time
be wholly diflblved : then dip a fine hair-pencil in this
liquor, and with it daub over the back fides of the
leaves, and lay them carefully down on a half-flieet of
white paper fairly expanded, and prefs them down
with fome more papers over thefe. When the gum-
water is fixed, let the preffure and papers be removed,
and the whole work is finilhed. The leaves retain their
verdure in this cafe, and the flowers ufually keep
their natural colours. Some care, however, muft be
taken, that the heat of the oven be not too great.
When the flowers are thick and bulky, fome art may
be ufed to pare off their backs, and difpofe the pe¬
tals in a due order; and after this, if any of them
are wanting, their places may be fupplied with fome
of the fupernumerary ones dried on purpofe ; and if
any of them are only faded, it will be prudent to take
them away, and lay down others in their dead: the
leaves may be alio difpofed and mended in the fame
manner.
Another method of preferving both flowers and fruit
found throughout the whole year is alfo given by the
fame author. Take faltpetre one pound; armenian
bole, two pounds; clean common fand, three pounds.
Mix all well together ; then gather fruit of any kind
that is not fully ripe, with the ftalk to each; put thefe
in, one by one, into a wide-mouthed glafs, laying
them in good order. Tie over the top with an oil¬
cloth, and carry them into a dry cellar, and fet the
whole upon a bed of the prepared matter of four inches
thick in a box. Fill up the remainder of the box with
the fame preparation ; and let it be four inches thick
all over the top of the glafs, and all round its fides.
Flowers are to be preferved in the fame fort of glaffes,
and in the fame manner; and they may be taken up
after a whole year as plump and fair as when they were
buried.
Flowers (artificial) of the Chinefe. See Tong-
tsao.
Flowers,