Bolder and more direct methods seem to be the rule of the day and in this case the rule seems to be a good one. The more complicated an effect gets, the harder it is to handle. Mr Bush has reduced that old and true classic to a concise method that does not confuse at any time and leaves a profound impression.
Passing three lemons into the audience, the performer asks that one be selected and held, the other two being tossed back. The performer requests the loan of a dollar bill, the serial number of which is taken down by another person, and then the performer tears off one corner, which he hands to the owner as a means of still further identification. The dollar bill is now vanished. The spectator takes the lemon from his pocket, cuts it open and finds therein a bill. Serial numbers all check and the owner of the bill has the corner that matches perfectly. What could be more convincing in the eyes of the audience ?
Lemons should be used that are different from each other to the extent that they can be mentally identified as one, two and three. Remove the stem pip from the lemon at the stem, and, with a sharp instrument such as an ice pick, insert it at this spot, making a hole large enough to receive a rolled up bill. The bills are rolled as follows : Fold to half its own width, then in half lengthwise and then roll into a tight roll. The bill will not be over three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter and about one and five-sixteenths of an inch in length. The bills should be neither too new nor too old and first the serial numbers of each should be written down and a corner torn from each. Be careful to keep each corner with its own number.
Roll and push number one bill into number one lemon with a blunt instrument to about center. The same is done with the other two bills and lemons. Put a drop of glue on the stem pip and replace it over the hole and let dry. Upon examination the lemon appears to be ordinary and without preparation. Put the torn corners in your pockets so you can get whichever you want and you are ready.
The spectator selects one of the three lemons passed him, and puts it in his pocket. The two remaining lemons are tossed back and this is where the performer finds out which has been selected. He places them on the table, at the same time securing the corner to match the bill in the selected lemon. If the corners are being kept in his pockets instead, he secures the right one while asking the loan of a bill. Upon receiving the dollar, he asks someone to write down the serial number and proceeds to call it off to them. However, he actually calls off the number of the bill inside of the selected lemon. One will always find it easy to memorize these serial numbers, or easier yet have them written on his cuff or thumb nail. At this time the palmed torn corner is placed at the upper corner of the bill, covered by the thumb.
The upper right corner of the borrowed bill is apparently torn off but fingers really fold over the corner of the bill and the palmed torn off corner is brought into view, creating a perfect illusion of having torn the corner from the borrowed bill. This piece is given to the owner of the bill as a 'receipt' for his money.
Vanishing the bill with any favorite method, the audience is told that the money has passed into the selected lemon. The spectator now takes it from his pocket, and the performer hands him a knife or lets him use his own. Upon cutting it in two, he finds the dollar bill. The serial number is checked and of course is found to be correct. The torn corner fits perfectly and the trick is over. To present again it is only necessary to prepare one lemon as the other two are ready.
EDITOR'S NOTE
I like this effect very much because it is clean and direct in action. However, one point that I don't agree with Mr Bush is having the spectator take the lemon from his pocket and cut it open himself. It would be better to show the hands convincingly empty and then have the lemon tossed up and the performer cuts it open and takes out the bill. Handing it to the owner, the performer has this person read the serial number and the person who wrote it down verifies it. Then the owner fits the torn corner and acknowledges that.
Having the spectator find the bill when the performer has never been close is just too divine, and anyone with as much as one brain will be suspicious and be sure that it can't be the same bill.
For a vanish, I might suggest a method I sold several years ago in connection with a cigarette trick. An envelope with a slit in the back is used. About three quarters of an inch is torn from the end of a bill. Then this piece is pasted along the inside edge of the envelope, on the flap side, so it appears to be a bill inside with part showing. The flap is turned down and the envelope put inside the pocket. When ready to get rid of, the bill is held in the right fingers, folded up a number of times and the left hand brings out the envelope with fingers on back and thumb on the flap side. Right fingers lift back the flap and insert the bill behind the piece showing, and at this moment the performer turns slightly to the right so that the piece can be seen. The fingers have pushed the bill through the slit into the left fingers behind and this hand goes to the pocket for a match. Left hand lights a match and sets fire to the bottom of the envelope while the right hand holds it at the top with the flap still open and the decoy showing.
Just before the flame gets too near for comfort the flap is turned down and the envelope dropped onto a dish. The performer's hands are unmistakably empty and the illusion created is perfect although at no time is the bill seen to be burning. Now the lemon is tossed up and cut open.
Personally, I think this version by Mr Bush will be found hard to better.