COUNTING THE PLANTS 149 



eluding an extra inch of stalk or from a false 

 idea of its being a more artistic method. The 

 type of mind that delights in such arrange- 

 ments can never endure the obvious and the 

 simple. It delights in having photo-frames 

 and books placed criss-cross upon a table, while 

 cushions cannot be allowed to repose naturally 

 upon their sides, but must, instead, bal- 

 ance skittishly upon one of their corners. 

 Now, if you prefer cushions standing upon tip- 

 toe, by all means place them in that way ; but 

 you must not arrange your dried plants after 

 the same rule ! Erect plants must be mounted 

 in an erect position, and those that bend and 

 curve when growing must do so upon the 

 mount. Long, creeping plants should be ar- 

 ranged with their stems parallel with the 

 longer side of the mount, the latter being 

 turned round so that what was the left-hand 

 side becomes the bottom. In such cases the 

 label should come at the top right corner. If 

 this rule is kept, the labels will lie immediately 

 under one another in the herbarium and so 

 make references to it both quick and easy. 

 Some plants, such as Little Sun-drops and 



