Salt Crystal Garden - cooking recipe

Ingredients

pieces of coal, porous brick, tile, coke, cement or sponge
water
salt
Mrs. Stewart's bluing
coloring (food coloring, ink or mercurochrome

Preparation

In a glass or plastic bowl, put in pieces of coal or whatever. Over these, pour 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons bluing.
The next morning, add 2 tablespoons salt.
On the third morning, pour in the bottom of the bowl, 2 more tablespoons each of salt, water and bluing, then add a few drops of coloring to each piece.
By this time, a beautiful flower-like growth should have appeared.
A free circulation of air is necessary.
These formations will develop better where the air is dry.
It may be necessary to add 2 tablespoons of household ammonia to aid growth.
To keep it growing, just add more bluing, salt and water from time to time.