Vol. VI., No. 41.] BULLETIN OF THE Torrey BOTANICAL Cus. [New York, May, 1878. . 
§ 234. Some Rambling Notes on Collecting and Preserving 
Herbarium Specimens. 
II. The Collector’s Outfit.—Before entering on a botanical ram- 
ble let us see what we shall need take with us onthe trip. On an 
ordinary excursion it is well to be provided with both portfolio and 
botanical box. The former is preferable in most cases, for with 
plenty of specimens in it, its capacity is quite unlimited, and besides, 
there are many occasions in which plants of a delicate texture, or 
having ephemeral floral parts, as many of the aquatics, the Heli- 
anthemums, the Tradescantias, and others, would be greatly impaired 
by carrying home first before putting in press. Plants of this class 
should be put into portfolio or press immediately after being 
gathered. On the other hand,a box is very essential to carry 
plants which we wish to examine fresh, and also plants having thick 
roots, large fruits, etc. When the collector’ s time is limited, and we 
wish to explore as large a territory as possible in the period at our 
disposal, for instance, while a train or boat is delayed, or having only 
a leisure hour’s run in the fields and woods, then necessarily the box 
becomes the favorite. Also on a windy day it is perhaps preferable ; 
for there is little that is more vexatious or calculated to call out the 
“Old Adam” of our nature than endeavoring to put specimens into 
the portfolio when a lively breeze is playing among our papers and 
specimens, and no place handy to seek shelter from its airy and spor- 
tive Caresses. 
For home excursions, if the portfolio be well stocked with paper, 
the box need be quite small. The one I have used with much satis- 
_ faction is of oval-cylindrical-shape, 17 inches long, 4 by 6 inches 
wide. It is light and convenient to carry, provided with a light 
strap to throw over the shoulder, and so attached to box near front 
narrow side as to have the lid open from the person when hung on 
the shoulder. The lid opens nearly the whole length of one of the 
flat sides,—15 by 44 inches, with } inch lap,—made to fit as tight as 
possible, and fastens with a simple spring catch, effective and con- 
venient, a great improvement over the old way of fastening, which has 
_to be held in place with peg or key. I have seen and used a num- 
ber of different boxes, but I give my preference decidedly to the one 
described above. 
For extended trips of several days, I formerly used a much lar- 
ger box with a lunch compartment at one end, something like the 
pattern referred to by Dr. Bumstead, in Vol. II., p. 33, of Bulletin. 
It is 21 by 9 x 6 inches. But it is much too heavy to carry with the 
portfolio, and in fact too heavy, even when used alone, for mountain 
rambling. For long trips when the collector wishes to bring home a 
large number of fresh plants, I should prefer, instead of such a large 
cylindrical box, one made something like an old-fashioned trunk 
with a wooden handle in lid to carry by. It should be large, say 21 
inches long, 12 inches wide and 12 inches high to top of lid, which 
opens like that of a trunk and is very convex. It is to be left in 
some central place, or where we make our headquarters for the 
night, and made a kind of depository, while the small box is used for 
collecting. Of course this plan is feasible only where we expect to 
a 
