88 DIRECTIONS FOR PRESERVING PLANTS, 
disposed of. A few sheets are then laid upon the last, and a board 
placed over all, 
Plants, viewed with reference to drying, may be divided into two 
classes; the one comprehending those which being thin, soft, and 
flexible, require little pressure to reduce them to a level, the other 
including such as being stiff and thick require much pressure. Sup- 
posing the above plants to have been of the first class, we lay upon the 
upper board one of the smaller weights. A series of more stubborn 
specimens being, in like manner, placed between other two boards, we 
lay one of the larger weights upon them. 
Should more specimens be collected next day, they are disposed of 
in the same manner, and thus successively. At the end of three days 
generally, the plants first laid in are to be taken out, together with the 
paper about them, They are to be laid in fresh paper, three or four 
sheets being placed between every two plants, and the whole put 
between two boards, with a weight over them. ‘The second series is 
similarly treated next day, and so on. The paper from which the 
plants have been removed is to be dried for future use. 
There will thus be four sets of plants; two in the first stage of 
drying, and two in the second stage. The plants of the second stage 
sets should be taken out about three days after they have been depo- 
sited, and after dry paper has been put about them, returned to their 
places. The paper may thus be shifted until the plants be perfectly 
dry, when they are finally removed. Lach plant is then placed in a 
sheet of dry paper, and along with it is deposited a slip of paper, on 
which are written the name of the plant, the place in which it was 
gathered, the time of gathering, the soil, and such other circumstances 
as may tend to elucidate the history of the species. Thus prepared, 
the plants are packed up in bundles, which gradually enlarge their 
dimensions, or increase in number till the end of the season. 
Having in this manner collected a certain number of plants, the 
collector has now to arrange them. For this purpose he has to procure 
a quantity of good stout writing or printing paper of large size, folded 
into folio, which is to be stitched in coloured covers, making fasciculi 
of five or six sheets each. A quantity of fine large post or other 
writing paper, in half sheets, folio size, cut round the edges, is also to 
be at hand. Let a number of narrow slips of different lengths be cut 
from a piece of the same paper, and let some prepared isinglass or 
dissolved gum be in readiness, together with a camel-hair pencil. 
Take a dried plant, lay it upon a leaf of the fine cut paper, then fasten 
it down by means of a few of the slips, to which isinglass or gum has 
been applied, laid across the stem and some of the branches. ‘Two or 
three slips are generally sufficient for a plant or specimen. In this 
manner all the dried plants destined to form part of the herbarium are 
treated. Write the name of each species on the top of the leaf, and 
transcribe the notice respecting the place in which it was gathered, &c., 
at the bottom. ‘Then arrange the plant according to system, and lay 
one between every two pages of the fasciculi. The fascieuli are 
formed into bundles, by being laid alternately up and down upon each 
other, as they do not lie conveniently when the heads of the plants are 
