Ol'fervat'ions on prcfcyjing Specimens cf Plants. 30J 



the fucculency of the plant, and when the aliiminated paper 

 appears perfeftly dry, your fpecimen may be removed into 

 tVcfti paper, and kept carefully under gentle preflure, with 

 the edges of the paper folded over each other to prevent every 

 poihble admiflion of light and air till its removal into the 

 herl)arium. For thofe who wifli to affix their fj^ecimcns, 

 (and it is fcarcely podible to eOeft the prefervation of the 

 delicate tints of the petals of many kinds without a lirong 

 adhefion to, and almoft mcorporation with, the paper,) tht; 

 time above mentioned, that is, when the aluminated paper 

 is thoroughly dry, is the proper time for proceeding with the 

 operation. Have ready a pafte made with flour and Viater, 

 with alum mixed in it, fuch as uphoKtercrs ufe, ftrong gum- 

 water, or ifmo;lafs-glue : applv either of thefe to the back nf 

 vour fpecimen with a bruih ; then fix it carefully on flrang 

 writing or drawing-paper, by laying your paper fmoothly ou 

 the fpecimen as it lies, prcliing it gently with your hands 

 ajid a cloth, and then turning over both together. W hca 

 this is done, iron the plant with a box-heater in the manner 

 recommended by Major Velley in Dr. Withering's Arrange- 

 ment of Brit'i/h Plants, v. i. p. 34, if you have the conve- 

 niences ; if not, apply an immediate and fmart preflure, as 

 before direfted. 



It is taken for granted that thofe who wifh to profit by 

 thefe infirudlions, are praftifed in the ufual methods of pre- 

 ferving dry fpecimens, and that they are aware that parti- 

 cular care fhould be taken to pare off the back parts of thick 

 svoodv ftalks, and of the globofe, fucculent heads of flowers, 

 as well as of the buds of thofe intended to be pafted down, 

 previous to their prellure. For the moft fatisfadtory inform- 

 ation on thefe particulars, the reader is referred to the In- 

 troduftion to Dr. Withering's" excellent work above men- . 

 tioncd. It is almoft needlefs to mention, that aluminated 

 fpecimens will be completely guarded from the erofion of 

 infefts, as well as from the danger of being injured by 

 damps ; and therefore the procefs will be particularly valu- 

 able to thofe who vifit foreign countries. 



As beauty and durability are of fo much eonfequence in 

 the arrangement of an herbarium, and as plants canntu be 



prcferved 



