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A way to mold flowers and herbs

It is necessary to choose them in full bloom and color, and not pick them, if possible, until the time one wants to mold them so that they will not wilt. Or if you need to carry them from afar, put their stems in a bottle of water, or better still wine. First make 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. At the bottom of this peg, put and prick a bit of iron wire, rather thick and strong. And at the point of this peg, you will fit your flower stem or your herb. This done, set it aside. Arrange your clay circle and outline as you did for the snakes, in the shape of a mandore according to the size of your herb. Then take the herb you have prepared to be cast, as we have taught you, and wet and moisten it carefully with good eau de vie with a pinceau. Then place the wire end through the end of the earthen mandore, so that the wax peg, where the herb is, joins itself to the edge of the earthen mandore. And arrange your herb lying flat so that it remains in the middle of said mandore, without touching on any side, such that the sand that you pour in it will be of equal thickness everywhere, and will be more than two good fingers higher than your plant everywhere on top. And having secured the wire well, quickly pour your wet sand, much clearer than the one used for snakes, in the mandore, and the sooner the better, so that the eau de vie does not dry. And be sure to put in a little more water of sal ammoniac among the common than you do for the snakes. And if you were to make sand especially for casting your bouquets, where you would mix in a little more feather alum, it will be all the better. In this way, your mold will be in one piece and it will not be necessary to disassemble it, but to separate it from the clay once it will have set. Let it dry. And then fire it again until the herbs are burnt. Note that if the herb you want to cast has a strong stalk and stem, you can cast it lying down, as said. But if it is fine and delicate, plant it standing up with the wax peg so that the sand will always raise it up, it being very clear. Do not forget to arrange two vent holes with two small sticks, which will start at the bottom of the cast, which is the pointed end of the wax peg.

at left top margin

If the plantss 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.

Figure at left top margin

Figure at left middle margin

at left middle margin

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

Figure at left bottom margin