Procure 1 lb. or more of white starch powder, dry it well in an open
dish before the fire, put it on one side to cool, when quite cool, put a
layer of half an inch at the bottom of a small box, observing that the
box also is dry; gather the leaves, if possible, on a fine summer day,
and lay as many leaves gently on the starch powder at the bottom of the
box as can be done without interfering with each other, then sprinkle
starch powder over them, and shake it down so that the powder settles
all round above and below the leaves until they are completely covered,
and about half an inch of the starch powder above them, then put another
layer of leaves, and proceed with the starch powder as before until the
box is filled, then press the top part, quite full of starch powder,
fastening the lid of the box firmly down until the leaves are required.
Ferns and flat leaves can be preserved by placing them between sheets of
blotting paper under a weight.