Vol. VI, No. 47.] BULLETIN oF THE ToRREY BoranicaL Cus. [New York, Nov., 1878. 
§ 270. Some Rambling Notes on Collecting and Preserving 
Herbarium Specimens. 
VI. Drying Specimens, continued.—Although plants, can, if nec- 
essary, be kept quite fresh for several days in portfolio or vasculum, it 
will be found a good plan, on returning from a collecting trip, to 
transfer them to the home press as early as possible. If left too long 
in’ box, many specimens will lose their petals or other delicate parts, 
and if left too long in portfolio, abundance of moisture will accumu- 
late in the papers from the plants, and after a while fermentation set 
‘in, and then, if not quickly attended to, the specimens will be soon 
entirely ruined. No alarm need be felt at the presence of the moist- 
ure, except that an excessive amount is an indication of early fer- 
mentation. This may be arrested, if on a several days’ trip from 
home, by taking out the sheets with specimens, as soon as they begin 
heating, and exposing them a few minutes to the open air and sun. » 
In putting plants in the specimen sheets, whether in portfolio or 
press, it is well to take some pains to spread out the leaves, flowers, 
etc., of the specimen ; for a little care now shown may save consid- 
erable labor further on. However, with most species any careless- 
ness in this respect can be remedied at, first time changing; yet 
there are some plants referred to in second paper of these notes, as, 
Caulophyllum, the Thalictrums, many of the Cruciferae and Legumtin- 
osae, and others, which are so delicate that whatever straightening 
out and arranging they receive must be done at the time they are 
_ first put in, for after that the sheets have usually to remain closed 
until the specimens are quite cured. 
Plants which were put directly into press should receive special 
attention at first change of drters. The first change is the most im- 
portant of all, so far as the arrangement of the specimen is con- 
cerned. Particular care should be taken at ¢Azs “me to straighten 
out and remove all folds and doublings-up in the leaves, petals, 
fronds, etc., and to arrange the specimens as naturally as possible, 
—showing both sides of the flowers and leaves. Small pieces of 
bibulous paper may be placed at this time between leaves and other 
parts of the plant which overlap each other, to prevent their moulding 
or discoloring, and to hasten drying. Formerly I believed it neces- 
sary to change these fragments for dry ones with every change of 
driers, but, if the latter are changed frequently, I find they may 
remain, with perhaps a change the first or second day, until the 
plants are cured, with nodetriment to the specimens. For very suc- 
culent plants, they should be changed with driers. 
The first change of driers should be made within several 
hours ; rarely should it be deferred longer than ro or 12 hours from 
the time of putting into press. If put off longer than this, the 
specimens of many species become too dry to make readily the 
alterations required. For this initiatory pressing a lighter weight— 
_ -25 Ibs. for instance—and fewer driers may be used, as the chief aim 
is merely to overcome that stubborn rigidity and elasticity, so 
troublesome in specimens when first put in the sheets, by rendering 
them sufficiently flaccid for every part to stay in the position 
arranged. The final arrangement of those plants collected in port- 
