THE MAKING OF AN HERBARIUM 

 By Willard N. Cliitc. 



FOURTH PAPER LABELS, ETC. 



THE process of gluing the plants to the sheets finishes the work 

 of mounting, unless the plants have particularly heavy parts, 

 in which event these are sufficiently strengthened by being 

 fastened to the sheet with strips of gummed linen. This linen 

 comes in sheets containing about four square feet and costs twelve 

 cents a sheet. For use it is first cut into strips Yz inch, ^ inch, i inch 

 and \'%. inches wide. These strips are then cut at right angles to the 

 first, cut into strips from ^ to ^ inch wide, which will give strips 

 of four different lengths and a choice of widths from broad to narrow. 

 These strips, although much narrower than the worker with gummed 

 paper is accustomed to use, will be found to be much stronger. For 

 this reason a smaller number can be used, and their size renders them 

 quite inconspicuous. In the case of large stems, a single strip at 

 either end will suffice to hold them firmly. It will not be necessary to 

 strap leaves, flowers or delicate parts; the glue alone will hold them. 

 In the majority of specimens, a single strap at the base of the stem is 

 enough. Every bend in the stem should have a strap. When the 

 straps are placed at the ends of stems, they should never be more than 

 ^ inch from the end. The clean, neat appearance of plants mounted 

 in this way and the absence of the broad bands of disfiguring paper 

 recommend the method to all who see the work. 



Next in importance to good specimens — perhaps I should say of 

 equal importance — is the right kind of a label. I have seen thousands 

 of specimens thrown into the fire for want of proper data. The plants 

 were apparently named correctly, but none of the labels showed where 

 they were collected, and they were therefore worthless. The young 

 collector should thoroughly understand that it makes no difference 

 zvlio collected the plant nor what its name is, if the other data are 

 present. It is perhaps because so many of us think we have finished 

 with a plant when we have learned its name, that the beginner inva- 

 riably attaches so much importance to the Latin or Greek words ap- 

 plied to it. In reality, if we lose the name, it is easily found again 

 from the plant itself, even if the scientist has mixed up the names in 

 the meantime ; but once the locality is lost, all is lost. But why attach 

 so much importance to locality ? Because a plant as a mere repre- 

 sentative of the species is not worth much. Let it be known, how- 

 ever, in what latitude it was found, in what soil it grew and whether 

 in sun or shade, and we can see by comparison with plants from other 



