Skeleton Leaves

Ingredients

• one pound sal soda
• five pints rain water
• one-half pound chlo- ride of lime
• three pints water
• one part of solution to one part of water
• one part of water
• five parts of gum arabic
• three parts white sugar
• two parts of starch

Directions

1. Boil the leaves in equal parts of rain water and soft soap until you can separate the pulp from the skin ; take them out into clear water ; lay the leaf to be cleaned on glass, the upper side of the leaf next to the glass ; then with a tooth-brush remove all pulp and skin, turn the leaf and repeat the process ; when thoroughly done, put the leaf to bleach in this solution : One pound sal soda, dissolved in five pints rain water ; one-half pound chlo- ride of lime, in three pints water; allow twenty-four hours for the latter to dissolve. Strain out the sediment, and pour the clear solution of lime into the solution of sal soda. The result will be a thick butter-milk solution, otherwise the lime was not strong enough. Filter this until it is perfectly clear. For leaves, use one part of solution to one part of water ; for ferns, use the solution full strength. When perfectly white, remove to clear water ; let stand for several hours, changing two or three times; the last water should be a little blue; float out on paper, press in books when nearly dry. In mounting use mucilage made of five parts of gum arabic, three parts white sugar, two parts of starch ; add a very little water, boil and stir until thick and white.

2. VALUABLE EECIPES. 879

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.