[Oroian Copyright Reserved, 



ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. 



BULLETIN 



or 



MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION 



No. 3] 



[1914 



XVIL— HINTS FOR COLLECTORS. 



The following" notes on tJie collecting (>f botanical sj^ecimens 

 are issued for the convenience of collectors and travellers who 

 may desire to send home plants in the living or dried condition, 

 or who may be interested in collecting plants or plant products 

 from the economic point of view. 



In collecting unknown plants in the living condition in the 

 form of seeds, tubers, &c., it is desirable that, when possible, 

 herbarium specimens should also be collected by which the plant 

 may be identified. In all such cases the collecting number borne 

 by the dried specimen .should also be given to the j)acket of seeds 

 or the plant sent. Similarly, with native names, it is of great 

 practical value that these should be accurately recorded, both for 

 living and dried specimens, and where both living and dried 

 specimens are sent the vernacular name should be given witli 

 each specimen. 



I.— HORTICULTUEAL DEPARTMENT. 



1. Seeds. — When procurable, seeds should be preferred to 

 living plants or cuttings. In a few instances, for example 

 orchids and tuberous-rooted plants such as the tuberous aroids 

 and many of the giuger family, 7Angiheraceae, seeds are either 

 of little value or too sdow in giving a result ; in such cases tubers 

 or plants are preferred. On the other hand, Palms, Pandanads, 

 Bamboos and many economic plants can be best introduced and 

 established by means of seeds. The seeds sliould be ripe, and 

 should be carefully dried before being packed. If it is not 

 convenient to despatch the seeds^at once, they should be kept dry 

 and at a regular temperature/ The facilities afforded by the 

 post, however, make the despatch of small packages easy. 

 Canvas bags should be used m preference to paper packets. 

 Collectors now find it convenient to provide themselves with a 

 stock of these in various sizes. If possible, wood tallies, with the 

 names or numbers of the seeds, should be enclosed in the bags, as 

 ])aper labels are liable to rot because of moisture from the seeds. 

 Tlie paper packet and wooden bos were employed by Mr. E. H. 

 Wilson when collecting seeds in China for Messrs. J. Veitch ^ 



(3197.) Wt.212-780. 1,125. 4/34. J.T.&S. G, 14. 



