To Produce The Appearance Of A Flower From Its Ashes
Make a tin box, with a cover that takes off. Let this box be supported
by a pedestal of the same metal, and on which there is a little door.
In the front of this box is to be a glass.
In a groove, at a small distance from this glass, place a double
glass, made in the same manner as described in p. 13, (Magic
Picture.) Between the front and back glasses place a small upright
tin tube, supported by a cross
iece. Let there be also a small
chafing-dish placed in the pedestal. The box is to be opened behind.
You privately place a flower in the tin tube, but not so near the
front glass as to be in the least degree visible, and presenting one
that resembles it to any person, desire him to burn it on the coals in
a chafing-dish.
You then strew some powder over the coals, which may be supposed to
aid the ashes in producing the flower; and put the chafing-dish in the
pedestal under the box. As the heat by degrees melts the composition
between the glasses, the flower will gradually appear, but when the
chafing-dish is taken away, and the powder of the ashes is supposed to
be removed, the flower soon disappears.
You may present several flowers, and let the person choose any one of
them. In this case, while he is burning the flower, you fetch the box
from another apartment, and at the same time put in a corresponding
flower, which will make the experiment still more surprising.