& failed full as much or more, when. preserved by other means. 
The colours of the blofsoms in the clafs. Didynamia, 1 could 
* 
~“ &c, some litile art must be employed in cutting away the 
Jt DRYING AND PRESERVING 
much experience, cannot —_ peehe mene to the alee 
Botentists» 
—— “TF place the plant when fresh, eine several shiny 
« of blotting paper, and iron it with a /arge smooth heater, 
“ pretty strongly warmed, till all the moisture; is difsipated.— 
- © The flowers and fructification I fix down with gum, upon the 
*¢ paper on which they are to remain, and iron them in that 
* state, by which means they become almost incorporated into 
“ the paper in their proper forms. Many colours I have been 
able to fix, which frequently forsook the flowers during the 
“ gradual and tedious procefs of sand-heats, and other methods — 
“ which I had before tried. 
“Some plants require a more moderate heat than others: 
“experience must determine this: and herein consists the 
“‘nicety of the experiment. The forms and colours seem to — 
“ remain more qaelact by this mode than by any other I have — 
“ been able to try." —“ If the mucilaginous and succulent — 
te plants do not sueceed so well with respect to their colour, — 
“ under the hot smoothing iron, I have always found that they 
“never fix by a sand-heat. Several of these, as well as of 
“ the —- plants, I have ies tolerably well by 
** jroning. ie 
“ Tt is sieicinatty to observe, that i in compound flowers, or ‘a 
“ thofe of a solid and more stubborn form, as the Centaurea, 
“under part, by which means the profile and form of the 
“ flowers will be more distinctly exhibited, provided they are 
“to be pasted down.”—~“ After all, it must be remembered 
* that a plant, when preserved in a most perfect state, isa 
“ kind of Hygrometer, and if exposed for any time to a moist 
“atmosphere, or laid up:in a situation which.is not perfectly : 
“ dry, will imbibe a degree of humidity that mist 5 soon ee 
“« injurious to the beauty of the specimen.” 
Major Velley sent me some plants dried by mies means, Z 
which are the most beautiful specimens I have seen. ‘The 
facility of drying plants by ironing, must render this method 
particularly acceptable to the travelling Botanist. ee. 
In addition to, the methods. of poping a — siccus ” 
