DIRECTIONS 
FOR - 
DRYING AND. PRESERVING 
SPECIMENS OF PLANTS. 
Maxy methods have been devised for the preservation of 
Plants; we shall relate only such as have been found most 
succefsful. 
. _. First prepare a prefs, which a toner cae ans by the 
following, directions. — = 
Take two planks of =o eae steal not liable to warp. 
The planks should be two inches thick, eighteen inches long, 
twelve inches broad. Get four male, and four female screws ;* 
such as are commonly used for securing sash windows. Let the 
four female screws be let into the four corners of one of the 
planks, and corresponding holes made through the four corners 
of the other plank for the male screws to pafs through, so as 
to allow the two planks to be screwed tightly together. It 
will not be amifs to face the bearing of the male screws upon 
the wood, with iron plates ; and, if the iron plates went acrofs 
from corner to corner of the wood, it would bea good security 
against warping. When a prefs is not at hand, the specimens 
amay be dried tolerably well between the leaves of a large folio 
book, laying other books upon it to give the necefsary prefsure; 
but in all cases tog much prefsure must be avoided. 
Secondly, get a few sheets of strong card pasteboard, and 
half a dozen quires of large, soft, spongy paper; such as the 
stationers call blofsom blotting paper, is the most proper. 
The plants you wish to preserve should be gathered in adry_ 
day, after aes sun has exhaled the dew : :: taking eee care © 
* Wedges of ‘oh aval oensonst. ‘wood, pafsing through uprights 
affixed to each end of the lower plank, and rising through the upper one, 
have been since found mere manageable and efficacious, 
