CHAPTER XIX. 



Collecting and Preserving. 



i. Collecting and Preserving Plants. 



Collect samples of all parts of the plant, lower and upper 

 leaves, stem, flowers, fruit, and in most cases roots. In small 

 species, those two feet high or less, the whole plant should b3 

 taken. Of larger plants, take portions about a foot long. Press 

 the plants between papers or '"driers." These driers may be 

 any thick porous paper, as blotting-paper or carpet-paper, or, for 

 plants that are not succulent or very juicy, newspapers in 

 several thicknesses may be used. It is best to place the speci- 

 mens in sheets of thin paper — grocer's tea-paper is good — and 

 place these sheets between the driers. Many specimens can be 

 placed in a pile. On top of the pile place a short board and a 

 weight of 20 or 30 pounds. Change the driers every day. The 

 plants are dry when they become brittle and when no moisture 

 can be felt by the fingers. Some plants will dry in two or three 

 days, while others require as many weeks. If the pressing is 

 properly done the specimens will come out smooth and flat, and 

 the leaves will usually tee green, although some plants always 

 turn black in drying. 



Specimens are usually mounted on single sheets of white paper 

 of the stiffness of very heavy writing-paper or thin Bristol board. 

 The standard size of sheet is ll>^xl6>^ inches. The plants may 

 be pasted down permanently and entirely to the sheet, or they 

 may be held on by strips of gummed paper. In the former case, 

 Denison's fish-glue is the best gum to use. But one species or 

 variety should be placed on a sheet. The species of a genus are 

 collected into a genus cover. This cover is a folded sheet of 

 heavy manila or other firm paper, and the standard size, when 

 folded, is 13x16)^ inches. Oa the lower left hand corner of this 

 (158) 



