
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~117r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A means of molding flowers and plants

One needs to choose them in their full verdure & vivacity, &
les mou not pick them, if possible, until the time
one will want to mold them, so that they do not wilt. Or if you need to
carry them from afar, soak their stems in a bottle of
water, or better still wine. Make, firstly, a
wax stick pointed like a big peg, of a size appropriate to what
you want to cast, as you see in the margin, marked A. Put & prick at
the foot of this small peg a bit of iron wire, rather thick &
strong. And at the point of this, you will fit your flower stem or your
plant. This done, set it aside neatly. And arrange your
mold of t circle & shape of clay as you
have done for the snakes, in the form of a mandorein such a way that according to the size of your plant. Then
take the one that you have prepared to be cast, as we have taught you,
& wet & moisten it very carefully with good
eau-de-vie with a pinceau. Then pass the
wire stem through the end of the earthenmandore, in order that the waxq
peg, where the plant is fastened, joins to the end of the earthenmandore. And arrange thusly your plant in such a way lying down
that it remains in the middle of aforesaid mandore, without
touching on either side, so that a the sand that you will
pour in it will be of equal thickness as everywhere, &
is exceeds everywhere by the height of two good
fingers the top of the such plant. And
having secured the wire stem well, pour quickly wet
your wet sand, much clearer than the one for snakes, in the
mandore. And the sooner the better, in order that the
eau-de-vie does not dry. And take heed to put in a little more
water of sal ammoniac among the
common than you would do for the
snakes. And when you will make sand especially for your
bouquets, where you would mix in a little more feather alum, it
will be that much better. Thus your mold will be in one piece
and it will not be necessary to unjoin it, but rather leave
separate it from the clay once it will have set, let it dry, and
then reheat it again until the plants are burnt.
peys And note that if the plant you want to cast has
a strong stalk & stem, you can cast it lying down, as had been said.
But if it is some weak & delicate flower, cast
plant it upright with the wax peg because the sand will
always cast lift it up, it being very clear. Do not forget to
adapt two vent holes with two small sticks, starting at the
foot of the cast, which is the pointed end of the wax
peg.


If the plants are so delicate that they rise to the top when you pour
the wet sand, one can stop and contain them with a thread
passed through the circle of the mold with a
needle.


The more delicate the fllower is, the clearer the sand must be.

