72 PRESERVING GRASSES. 



if there are any, as a part of a specimen. Some part of the 

 plant should be in flower. If too long to preserve in its natural 

 form, double the culm in a zigzag manner, so that it shall not be 

 too large. Bite the angles with the teeth to make them submis- 

 sive. The stem of June grass, or a small thread, or the angle 

 pressed through slits in pieces of paper, are convenient to keep 

 the grass from spreading till it is dried. Short pieces of fine 

 annealed wire are still better. 



It is of first importance as grasses are collected and placed in 

 the portfolio or press, to be particular to write on a label the 

 name of each species if known, but by all means, the locality 

 and date of collection. 



Instead of changing the driers, plants can be well dried by 

 binding them in a portfolio with sides of wire-netting. 



A plant is well dried when it rattles, will not stay bent, or does 

 not feel cool when applied to the cheek. 



For safe and long keeping the grasses must be poisoned. Use 

 95 per cent, alcohol nearly saturated with corrosive sublimate, 

 and apply with a flat brush, and place the specimens again in 

 driers for half a day or more. Common white arsenic in alcohol 

 is just as good and perhaps better. 



Procure some white paper llf by 16-^ inches, which is thick 

 enough to stand on edge without doubling up. On this paper 

 fasten a specimen of one species only, by pasting over it several 

 narrow strips of gummed paper. Many prefer to fasten the plants 

 to the paper with a fine quality of glue. Fasten the specimen 

 directly above the label which is stuck fast to the bottom of the 

 sheet. Specimens of the same species from different localities may 

 be placed on the same sheet, each over its own label. The label 

 contains the generic and specific name, perhaps the common name 

 also, the locality, date of collecting, and name of collector. 

 There are as many styles of labels as there are persons who pre- 

 serve plants. 



