FLORA OF WASHINGTON AND VICINITY. 215 



by a crank. He should never be ■without twine or some kind of string, 

 and ought to be provided with a few tags with metallic eyelets for 

 marking the exact localities of plants which he wishes to find again. A 

 small field-glass or spy-glass will be found a useful thing, not only in 

 often aiding him to orient himself in his prolonged rambles in unaccus- 

 tomed parts of the country, and in affording him the greatly increased 

 pleasure of viewing his distant surroundings from certain commanding 

 positions in Avhich he will sometimes suddenly and- unexpectedly find 

 himself, but also as a legitimate aid in collecting; as where he desires to- 

 know in advance whether a tree contains specimens worth climbing it 

 for, or whether a flower across a stream is familiar or new to him. An 

 ordinary opera-glass will answer this purpose, but a stronger power is 

 better, and may be had without increase of size if the proper search is. 

 made at the optician's. 



Last, but not least, the collector needs a driuking-cup. It should fold 

 up for the pocket, and the metallic kind is too cumbrous. Either a cup 

 of pure rubber, that can be wadded together, or the leather kind, that 

 folds regularly into the form of a thin, stiff" card (which is the best form), 

 should be looked for. These articles, with a memorandum book or block 

 and a pencil or fountain pen, complete the necessary outfit of a botanist, 

 and anything greatly in excess of these will be pretty sure to be found 

 an encumbrance rather than aid. 



For most herbaceous plants enough has already been said to guide 

 the beginner in securing good specimens. oSTearly all botanists take a 

 pride in this, and aside from its purely esthetic aspect, it is of the first 

 scientific importance. The plant should in all cases be represented, and 

 as art only aims to imitate nature, so good taste coincides with the 

 scientific requirement that the plant after collection shall resemble as 

 nearly as possible the plant before collection. 



Small annuals growing in loose soil can usually be pulled up by the 

 roots without injury to the latter, and this is then the best course; but 

 if the plant is very rare it is best not to trust to this, for fear of injuring 

 the only specimen. It is but the work of a moment to insert the trowel 

 below it and carefully shake the roots clean. Nearly all biennials and 

 perennials require to be dug u]), but this will be found less labor than 

 might be supposed. A little practice will render any one skilled enough 

 to take up nearly all ordinary plants with one or two strokes of the 

 trowel. As it is impossible to tell in which direction a horizontal 

 rhizoma may extend, it is best to strike in at some distance from the 



