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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.



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