Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets Part 32

Trees, distant.--Ultramarine, with a wash of indigo, gamboge, and burnt sienna, tinted with gray. The middle trees have a thin wash of burnt sienna and gamboge. Nearer trees a wash of burnt sienna, indigo, and gamboge. In the shadows more indigo is used.

Opposing ma.s.ses of trees are tinted with sepia and indigo.

Windows.--Indigo and burnt umber.

559. POTICHOMANIE

This elegant accomplishment, which has become so extremely popular and fashionable, promises not only to supercede altogether many of those accomplishments which have hitherto absorbed the attention of our fair countrywomen, but to rank among the fine arts.

Advantages of this Art.--It possesses many advantages: and the process is simple and easily acquired. It is an exceedingly pleasing and interesting employment, requiring no previous knowledge of drawing, yet affording abundant s.p.a.ce for the exercise of the most exquisite taste. The time employed is richly repaid; the results produced are of actual value; articles of ornament and domestic utility being produced, in perfect imitation of the most beautiful Chinese and j.a.panese porcelain, of Sevres and Dresden china, and of every form that is usual in the productions of the Ceramic Art. It furnishes an inexhaustible and inexpensive source for the production of useful and elegant presents, which will be carefully preserved as tokens of friendship, and as proofs of the taste and talent of the giver.

Articles necessary in the Art of Potichomanie.--Gla.s.s vases, (Potiches en verre,) of shapes suitable to the different orders of Chinese, j.a.panese, Etruscan, and French porcelain, Alumettes, &c.; cups, plates, &c., &c., of Sevres and Dresden design. Sheets of coloured drawings or prints, characteristic representations of the designs or decorations suitable to every kind of porcelain and china. A bottle of liquid gum, and three or four hog-hair brushes.

A bottle of varnish, and very fine pointed scissors for cutting out.

An a.s.sortment of colours for the foundation, in bottles. A packet of gold powder, and a gla.s.s vessel for diluting the colours.

Directions.--We will suppose the object selected for imitation to be a Chinese vase. After providing yourself with a plain gla.s.s vase, of the proper shape, you take your sheets of coloured prints on which are depicted subjects characteristic of that peculiar style. From these sheets you can select a great variety of designs, of the most varied character, on the arrangement and grouping of which you can exercise your own taste. After you have fully decided upon the arrangement of your drawings, cut them out accurately with a pair of scissors, then apply some liquid gum carefully over the coloured side of the drawings, and stick them on the inside of the vase, according to your own previous arrangement--pressing them down till they adhere closely, without any bubbles of air appearing between the gla.s.s and the drawings. When the drawings have had sufficient time to dry, take a fine brush and cover every part of them (without touching the gla.s.s) with a coat of parchment size or liquid gum, which prevents the oil colour (which is next applied) from sinking into or becoming absorbed by the paper. When the interior of the vase is perfectly dry, and any particles of gum size that may have been left on the gla.s.s have been removed, your vase is ready for the final and most important process. You have now to tint the whole of the vase with a proper colour to give it the appearance of porcelain; for up to this time, you will recollect, it is but a gla.s.s vase, with a few coloured prints stuck thereon. Select from your stock of prepared colours, in bottles, the tint most appropriate to the kind of china you are imitating, (as we are now supposed to be making a Chinese vase, it will be of a greenish hue,) mix fully sufficient colour in a gla.s.s vessel, then pour the whole into the vase. Take now your vase in both hands, and turn it round continually in the same direction, until the colour is equally spread over the whole of the interior: when this is satisfactorily accomplished, pour back the remainder. If the prepared colour is too thick, add a little varnish to the mixture before applying it. If preferred, the colour may be laid on with a soft brush. Should the vase be intended to hold water, the interior must be well varnished after the above operations, or lined with zinc or tin foil. If the potichomanist wishes to decorate the mouth of his vase with a gold border, he can do so by mixing some gold powder in a few drops of the essence of lavender and some varnish, applying it on the vase with a fine brush; or he can purchase gold bands, already prepared for application, in varied sheets, suitable to the potichomanie designs. Potichomanists have found the art capable of greater results than the mere imitation of porcelain vases, by the introduction of gla.s.s panels (previously decorated with beautiful flowers on a white ground) into drawing-room doors, and also into walls which, being panel papered, offer opportunities of introducing centre pieces of the same character as the doors; elegant chess and work-tables, folding and cheval-screens, panels for cabinets, chiffoniers and book-cases, slabs for pier and console-tables, glove-boxes, covers for books, music, alb.u.ms, &c. The most common cause of failure is, that the drawings inside are not thoroughly pressed down.

560. COLOURING FOR CHEESE

The colouring for cheese is, or at least should be, Spanish arnotto; but as soon as colouring became general in this country, a colour of an adulterated kind was exposed for sale in almost every shop; the weight of a guinea and a half of real Spanish arnotto is sufficient for a cheese of fifty pounds' weight. If a considerable part of the cream of the night's milk be taken for b.u.t.ter, more colouring will be requisite. The leaner the cheese is, the more colouring it requires. The manner of using arnotto is to tie up, in a linen rag, the quant.i.ty deemed sufficient, and put into half a pint of warm water over night. This infusion is put into the tub of milk, in the morning, with the rennet infusion; dipping the rag into the milk, and rubbing it against the palm of the hand as long as any colour runs out.

561. TO SHARPEN EDGE TOOLS

Take equal parts of flour of emery and crocus; make into a paste with sweet oil; have now a piece of buck-skin, (hemlock tan,) tack it by each end on a piece of board, with the grain uppermost; then on this spread a little of the paste, and sharpen your tools on it.

You will, indeed, be astonished at the effect. Try it.

562. BLUE COMPOSITION FOR DYEING

Take equal parts of vitriol and indigo; powder them very finely, separately, and mix.

563. TO GILD LETTERS ON VELLUM OR PAPER

Letters written on vellum or paper are gilded in three ways; in the first, a little size is mixed with the ink, and the letters are written as usual; when they are dry, a slight degree of stickiness is produced by breathing on them, upon which the gold leaf is immediately applied, and by a little pressure may be made to adhere with sufficient firmness. In the second method, some white lead of chalk is ground up with strong size, and the letters are made with this by means of a brush; when the mixture is almost dry, the gold leaf may be laid on, and afterwards burnished. The last method is to mix up some gold powder with size, and make the letters of this by means of a brush.

564. TO PRESERVE STRAWBERRY PLANTS

Sir Joseph Banks, from a variety of experiments, and the experience of many years, recommends a general revival of the now almost obsolete practice of laying straw under strawberry plants, when the fruit begins to swell; by which means the roots are shaded from the sun, the waste of moisture by evaporation prevented, the leaning fruit kept from damage by resting on the ground, particularly in wet weather, and much labour in watering saved. Twenty trusses of long straw are sufficient for 1800 feet of plants.

565. MANAGEMENT OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS

On the management of strawberries in June and July, the future prosperity of them greatly depends; and if each plant has not been kept separate, by cutting off the runners, they will be in a state of confusion, and you will find three different sorts of plants. 1.

Old plants, whose roots are turned black, hard, and woody. 2. Young plants, not strong enough to flower. 3. Flowering plants, which ought only to be there, and perhaps not many of them. Before the time of flowering is quite over, examine them, and pull up every old plant which has not flowered; for, if once they have omitted to flower, you may depend upon it they never will produce any after, being too old, and past bearing; but to be fully convinced, leave two or three, set a stick to them, and observe them the next year.

If the young plants, runners of last year, be too thick, take some of them away, and do not leave them nearer than a foot of the scarlet, alpines, and wood, and fifteen or sixteen inches of all the larger sorts; and in the first rainy weather in July or August, take them all up, and make a fresh plantation with them, and they will be very strong plants for flowering next year. Old beds, even if the plants be kept single at their proper distance, examine, and pull all the old plants which have not flowered. When the fruit is nearly all gathered, examine them again, and cut off the runners; but if you want to make a fresh plantation, leave some of the two first, and cut off all the rest. Then stir up the ground with a trowel, or three-p.r.o.nged fork, and in August they will be fit to transplant. If you have omitted in July, do not fail in August, that the runners may make good roots, to be transplanted in September; for, if later, the worms will draw them out of the ground, and the frost afterwards will prevent them from striking root; the consequence of which is, their not flowering the next spring; and you will lose a year.

566. THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

What each flower enumerated, signifies, when sent to a friend or lover.

Almond, flowering--Concealed love.

Althea, Frutex--I am deeply in love.

Amaranth--Immortality, or piety.

Anemone--Fading hope.

Arbor-Vitae--Unchanging friendship.

Auricula, Scarlet--Pride. You are proud.

Bachelor's b.u.t.ton--Hope in love.

Balm--I long for your society.

Balsamine--Impatience; or, pray come.

Bay Leaf--I change but in dying.

Box--I believe in your constancy.

b.u.t.tercup--Riches. You are rich.

Calla Ethiopica--Magnificent beauty.

Carnation--Pride and Beauty.

Camelia j.a.ponica--Surpa.s.sing excellence.

Cedar--Think of me.

China Aster--Caprice.

Cypress--Despair, and without hope.

Dahlia--Dignity--I will sustain it.

Daisy--Youthful beauty.

Dandelion--Coquetry, I accuse you of.

Eglantine--I wound to heal.

Forget-me-not--True love for ever.

Fox-glove--Insincerity. You are false.

Geranium--Gentility and elegance.

Gilly-Flower--Thou art fair.

Golden Rod--Encouragement. You will succeed.

Gra.s.s--Submission.

Heart's Ease--Love in idleness.

Heliotrope--Devotion. Let us pray for each other.

h.e.l.lebore--Calumny. You have listened.

Hollyhock--Ambition. I seek glory.

Honeysuckle--Dost thou love me?

Houstonia--Content ever with thee.

Hyacinth, Purple--Sorrow. I am sad.

Hydrangea--Heartlessness.

Ivy--Wedded Love. We are happy.

Jasmine, White--I desire a return of my affection.

Larkspur--Haughtiness.

Laurel--Ambition. I will win.

Laurustinus--A token. Pray remember.

Lavender--Acknowledgment.

Lilac--Fastidiousness.