42 



INTRODUCTION. 



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, until the end of the season. 



Having in this manner prepared 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 in folio, which is to be stitched in coloured covers, 

 making fasciculi of five or six sheets each. A quantity of finer 

 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 tragacanth or gum arable 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 of paper, 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 tran- 

 scribe the notice respecting the place in which it was gathered, &c. 

 at the bottom. Then arrange the plants according to system, and 

 lay one between every two pages of the fasciculi. The fasciculi 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 all at the top of the bundle, because the stalks and roots 

 are thicker than the flowers. These bundles, consisting each of ten 

 fasciculi or so, may be covered by pieces of pasteboard tied by 

 strings. The collection is kept on the shelves of a cabinet, or in 

 a chest. To prevent the attacks of insects, it is necessary to place 

 beside it a piece of sponge soaked full of rectified oil of turpentine ; 

 and to ensure it against decay from damp it ought to be kept in a 

 dry and well-ventilated place. 



The above is an orderly method of forming a herbarium; but 

 many other expedients are resorted to. Most plants dry suffi- 

 ciently well between the leaves of old books, and many collectors 

 save themselves the trouble of forming a neat collection, by 



