PHYTOLOGY. 



AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING PLANTS FOR THE 



HERBARIUM. 



By Colonel DRUMMOND HAY. 



T_T AVING frequently noticed how long a flower that has been 

 A cut and suddenly dried in the sun during hay-making time 

 will retain its colour, I was led to turn my attention to my 

 repeated failures in the drying of plants for the herbarium, 

 which on investigation appeared to arise chiefly from three 

 causes, ist, the plants not being dried quickly enough, so as 

 to prevent fermentation ; 2nd, the sap-vessels being often 

 bruised by pressure, and so causing a loss of colour ; and 3rd, 

 from want of care and attention in laying out the plants, so as 

 to keep each leaf and flower, or even petal in some of the larger 

 flowers, separate during the drying process. 



To obviate the above the following plan was tried and found 

 to be so great an improvement on the old one of merely using 

 several sheets of paper between each two specimens, though ever 

 so often changed, that I have no hesitation in recommending it 

 to any one who may wish to give it a trial. Of course it must be 

 borne in mind that plants, like birds, or other subjects of natural 

 history, to be well done, require much time, care, and attention 

 with a constant eye to nature, without which they can never be 

 satisfactory to the general observer, though perhaps perfectly 

 sufficient for all purposes to the practical botanist. 



To commence at the beginning : should a screw-press not be 

 used, procure two well seasoned boards an inch or so thick of 

 beech, or any other hard wood, 18 inches by 11, for the out- 

 sides. (If lightness is required deal may be used, but is better 

 of a cross piece at each end to prevent warping.) Also, a 

 number of thin light boards should be procured of the same size 

 as the outer ones, but only of about ^th inch thick. The best 

 are of common bee mahogany used for linings, which may be 



