DIRECTIONS TOR PREPARING PLANTS. 4l 



size, and then the most essential parts are to be selected, including 

 always the flowers. Plants to be preserved are to be gathered in 

 dry weather, and immediately deposited in the tin box, which pre- 

 vents their becoming shrivelled by evaporation. If gathered in 

 wet weather, they must be laid out for some time on a table or else- 

 where to undergo a partial drying. When roots have been taken 

 up along with the stems, they ought to be first washed, and then 

 exposed for some time to the air. 



Let us now suppose that a dozen specimens are procured. Over 

 one of the boards lay two or three sheets of the paper, on the up- 

 permost of which spread out the plant to be dried, unfolding its 

 various parts, not however so as to injure its natural appearance. 

 A few of the flowers and leaves ought to be laid out with particular 

 care. Over this specimen lay half a dozen sheets of paper, on the 

 uppermost of which lay another plant as before, and so on suc- 

 cessively, until the whole are 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. 

 Supposing 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 deposited, and after dry paper has been put about them, re- 

 turned to their places. The paper may thus be shifted until the 

 plants be perfectly dry, when they are finally removed. Each 



