no help for them save in removal. They
are mistaken. Successful experiments have shown that it is possible to
materially improve the atmosphere in such neighbourhoods by the
planting of the laurel and the sunflower. The laurel gives off an
abundance of ozone, whilst the sunflower is potent in destroying the
malarial condition. These two, if planted on the most restricted scale
in a garden or any ground close to the house, will be found to
speedily increase the dryness and salubrity of the atmosphere.

2330. Plant Skeletons.

The leaves should be put into an earthen or glass vessel, and a large
quantity of rain water poured over them; after this they must be left
in the open air, and to the heat of the sun, without covering the
vessel. As the water evaporates and the leaves become dry, more water
must be added; the leaves will by this means putrefy, but the time
required for this varies; some plants will be finished in a month,
others will require two months or longer, according to the toughness
of their parenchyma. When they have been in a state of putrefaction
for some time, the two membranes will begin to separate, and the green
part of the leaf to become fluid; then the operation of clearing is to
be performed.

The leaf is to be put upon a flat white earthen plate, and covered
with clear water; and being gently squeezed with the finger, the
membranes will begin to open, and the green substance will come out at
the edges; the membranes must be carefully taken off with the finger,
and great caution must be used in separating them near the middle rib.
When once there is an opening towards this separation, the whole
membrane always follows easily; when both membranes are taken off, the
skeleton is finished, and it has to be washed clean with water, and
then dried between the leaves of a book.

2331. Fruit Skeletons.

Fruits are divested of their pulp and made into skeletons in a
different manner. Take, for an instance, a fine large pear which is
soft, and not tough; let it be carefully pared without squeezing it,
and without injuring either the crown or the stalk; put it into a pot
of rain water, covered, set it over the fire, and let it boil gently
till perfectly soft, then take it out and lay it in a dish filled with
cold water; then holding it by the stalk with one hand, rub off as
much of the pulp as you can with the finger and thumb, b