214 ELEMENTS OF STRUCTURAL BOTANY. 



board, and subjected to pressure by placing weignts uu 

 the top ; twenty bricks or so will answer very well. 



369. It is of great importance that the sheet of paper 

 within ivhich the plant is first placed should not be 

 interfered with during the drying process. The directions 

 as to frequent changes refer only to the sheets not 

 immediately in contact with the plant. These, to ensure 

 the best results, should be changed once a day for the 

 first few days ; less frequently thereafter. Gray recom- 

 mends ironing with hot irons in order to remove more 

 rapidly the moisture from fleshy leaves, and in any case 

 to warm the driers in the sun before putting them 

 between the plants. 



When the specimens are thoroughly dry, the next 

 thing is to mount them, and for this purpose you will 

 require sheets of strong white paper ; a good quality of 

 unruled foolscap or cheap drawing paper will be suitable. 

 The most convenient way of attaching the specimen to 

 the paper is to take a sheet of the same size as your 

 paper, lay the specimen carefully in the centre, wrong 

 side up, and gum it thoroughly with a very soft brush. 

 Then take the paper to which the plant is to be attached, 

 and lay it carefully on the specimen. You can then lift 

 paper and specimen together, and, by pressing lightly 

 with a soft cloth, ensure complete adhesion. To render 

 plants with stout stems additionally secure, make a slit 

 with a penknife through the paper immediately under- 

 neath the stem ; then pass a narrow band of paper round 

 the stem, and thrust both ends of the band through the 

 slit'. The ends may then be gummed to the back of tho 

 sheet. 



