BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 215 



hortus siccus, to be preserved apart from the foliage, and notes made 

 of the locality, height, bulk of the trunk, etc. 



In proportion as the mountains are ascended, the vegetation will be 

 found to change, and to become more interesting and more peculiar ; 

 and it is hoped that the Commander will permit as full and extensive 

 collections as practicable to be made of the alpine vegetation. 



Particular notice should be taken of those plants which are found 

 nearest to the limits of perpetual snow. 



In journeying through the country, the utmost care must be taken to 

 preserve the collections from wet and damp, especially when passing 

 rivers, in rainy weather, aud from the effects of a moist atmosphere. 

 I ndiarubber calico will be provided ; but it will often happen that the 

 collections will have to be opened and exposed to a dry air, or to arti- 

 ficial heat. 



In the matter of living Plants for the garden, the difficulty of trans- 

 port is too great to render sending them practicable, except in the case 

 of Bulbs and Tubers, young plants of Cactuses, etc. ; but seeds should 

 be extensively collected of all kinds ; and the mode of preserving such 

 is explained in the accompanying Instructions (addressed to M. Bour- 

 geau). 



Objects for the Museum of Economic Botany should occupy M. Bour- 

 geau's attention and inquiry. In a general way these are noticed in 

 the above-mentioned printed form of Instructions. They consist of 

 whatever is curious and whatever is useful to mankind of Vegetable 

 Origin. They consequently include a great variety of articles of food, 

 Clothing, Ornament, Medicines, Resins, Dye-stuffs, samples of Woods, 

 particularly those good for carpentry and cabinet-work. 



Woods are made into bows and implements of different kinds, and 

 it is important to obtain these and attach to them the names of the 

 plants from which they are derived, or to obtain specimens of the plant, 

 and attach the same number as to the product. 



The following are some among the known products which should be 

 collected for the Museum. Spaetlum of the natives, the dried and 

 edible roots of Lewisia redivim, together with the bags m which they 

 carry them. Camash or Kamass, the esculent dried roots of Camassia 

 esculenta. Dried Cakes of the berries of Ganltheria Shallon (N. W. 

 America). Matting and Basket-* ork made of a very fnquent grass or 

 grass-like plant, together with the plant of which it is made. Objects 



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