6 LABORATORY METHODS AND EQUIPMENT 



Laboratory Material, Preparations, and 

 Collections 



a laboratory should be kept well stocked with material and 

 slides sufficient for its work so that the instructor is never at a 

 loss for them. Some material and slides will probably have to be 

 purchased, and a list of dealers in botanical supplies is given in 

 Sec. 217. However, very many instructors will depend chiefly on 

 their own preparations and collections, and it is very desirable 

 that they do so. Material collected and prepared by oneself will 

 be generally better known and better taught than that from 

 dealers. The secret of keeping a laboratory well stocked is the 

 foresight which never loses the opportunity to preserve a fortu- 

 nate collection. The simpler methods of killing and preserving 

 material are given in Sec. 172. There are no great difficulties of 

 technique, and it is the experience of every botanist that mate- 

 rial will come to hand from time to time that is far better than 

 the average of that offered by the dealers. A laboratory should 

 always have large bottles of stock solutions of the simpler kill- 

 ing reagents (such as chrom-acetic acid) and preserving fluids 

 (such as alcohol) and a supply of wide-mouthed bottles and jars. 

 With this simple equipment at hand the instructor should be 

 constantly on the watch for opportunities to increase and improve 

 the laboratory stock. Thoughtfulness in this direction will save 

 much time and expense in the long run. 



It is becoming desirable and even necessary to study many 

 points of detailed morphology and cell structure from slides. 

 These can be purchased singly or in sets from dealers (Sec. 217) 

 and the preparations are generally good ; however, the instructor 

 is urged to be self-reliant. The simpler methods of killing, im- 

 bedding, cutting, and staining are not difficult and are outlined 

 in the sections entitled Botanical Microtechnique. An advanced 

 student under direction can profitably be employed from time to 

 time in the service of slide making with excellent returns for the 

 expenditure involved. But more important is the added value 



