1460 



HERBARIUM 



HERBARIUM 



have been brought back. It is only through such col- 

 lections of dried plants that publications of the plants 

 of a region are possible. It is a vital supplement to 

 actual work in the field. Large and important herbaria 

 exist at many centers of botanical activity in this 

 country and abroad, while private collections are 

 countless. 



There are few collections of pressed specimens of 

 plants embracing the wide range of horticulture, and 

 there should be more of them. The advantage of such 

 herbaria in identifying plants under cultivation and in 

 comparing the many forms that are constantly being 

 evolved, and that do not occupy a place in collections 

 of native plants, must be obvious to everybody. Every 

 horticulturist should have a good herbarium, for it 

 increases very largely the value of his work besides 

 giving much pleasure in the preparation and use of it. 



1811. A common method of mounting herbarium specimens. 



It is like a reference library and it enables a nursery- 

 man to keep his stock true to name. One of the most 

 difficult problems for a systematic botanist or a horti- 

 culturist to meet is that of nomenclature, and much 

 trouble and waste time can be avoided by having at 

 hand an authentically named collection, embracing as 

 many forms as possible. A good working herbarium 

 can be made by pressing the cultivated plants at hand 

 and by securing from others specimens of additional 

 forms. 



In collecting plants for the press it must be remem- 

 bered that they are to be mounted on paper 11 J^ by 

 16% inches in size. These are standard dimensions. 

 Take up small plants by the roots, and of larger plants 

 secure a branch that will show typical leaves and flower 

 or fruit according to what is desired. Note with each 

 plant, on a label or on a tag slipped on the end of the 

 stem, the important characters that are to be entered 

 on the final label, such as trade name, color of flowers, 

 whether it is annual, biennial or perennial, date, local- 



ity, collector, and so on. These should be kept care- 

 fully with the plant. 



The specimens are then laid for pressing between 

 sheets of unsized paper that will readily absorb the 

 moisture. Newspaper will do, but prepared sheets can 

 be bought at very small cost of any botanical dealer, 

 from whom also can be obtained collecting-boxes, 

 trowels, presses and all other details used in making 

 an herbarium. Plants can be folded once or even twice 

 to be adapted to the size of the sheet, unless too many 

 leaves overlap, in which case two specimens, or even 

 more, can be made of the same plant and pressed 

 separately. A little skill will enable one to lay out 

 his plants artistically, showing upper and under sur- 

 faces of the leaves, and the various sides of the flowers. 

 Sometimes it is best to section a thick stem or root. 

 The folder with its inclosed plant or plants and accom- 

 panying data is then put between driers, which are 

 sheets of a heavy felt paper, very absorbent. On 

 this is placed another folder, and so on until a pile 

 a foot or more high is reached. This pile is then 

 placed in a press. The best kind of press is a simple, 

 portable one, composed of two frames, each made 

 of strips of hard wood arranged at right angles to 

 each other. The press is then tightened by strong 

 straps. The driers should be changed daily for a 

 few times, and the specimens examined, and then 

 less frequently till they are perfectly dry. Most 

 excellent results in quick drying can be secured by 

 means of sheets of corrugated card board with one 

 side flat. (See J. F. Collins, Rhodora xii. 221, 1910). 

 By placing a sheet between the various driers each 

 plant is isolated from its neighbors, and the circula- 

 tion of ah* through the pores speedily dries the plants. 

 Put the press in the sun when possible. The old- 

 fashioned method of using plain boards and a heavy 

 weight on top is not to be recommended. 



The specimens should then be mounted on sheets 

 of stiff, white, calendered paper, 11H by 16% 

 inches, eighteen pounds to the ream being standard 

 weight. This is for a perfectly appointed herbarium. 

 The plants can be kept in the original folders and 

 filed in that way, but, for safety and ease in hand- 

 ling, the specimens should be properly secured to 

 the sheets. The regular method is by gluing them 

 down, fish glue being used, and supplementing this 

 with strips of gummed paper, surgeon's isinglass 

 plaster being the best material. These strips are 

 put over portions of the plant that are liable to 

 separate from the sheet. In some large herbaria 

 gummed strips are used entirely. Each mounted sheet 

 must contain but one species, variety or form, but 

 two or more different collections may be on a single 

 sheet. A label accompanies each collection composed 

 of one or more specimens. A convenient size is 3H 

 by 1% inches. On it should be written the name, 

 locality, date, collector and any useful data such as 

 have been mentioned above. 



The mounted sheets are put loose into genus covers 

 of stiff manila paper, 16 l /i by UK inches, each cover 

 devoted to a single genus. The name of the genus is 

 written in the lower left-hand corner, and that of the 

 species in the lower right-hand corner. More than one 

 species of the same genus can be put into the same 

 cover. These covers are placed systematically in the 

 herbarium case fitted with pigeon-holes wide and deep 

 enough to hold the covers easily and 6 inches between 

 shelves. The doors must close tightly to keep out 

 insects and dust. The cases are of varying heights, 

 according to convenience, and are generally of wood. 

 The most approved have two rows of about thirteen 

 pigeon-holes each, and are made of steel, thus securing 

 absolute safety. 



An herbarium was called "Hortus siccus," or dry 

 garden, by the ancients, but, although in one sense 

 true, it does not convey the correct idea. To the true 



