162 

 BOTANY, 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



THE nearer we advance to the equator, the larger 

 &re the plants. The most commodious size for the 

 paper of the herbarium would be from fifteen to 

 eighteen inches long, and eight to ten wide. We 

 should be provided with several planks of the same 

 3ize as our paper ; these planks should be formed 

 of two thinner ones, their surfaces being glued to- 

 gether ; so that the grain of the wood of one may go 

 length-ways, and the grain of the other breadth- 

 ways ; without this precaution they are apt to break. 

 We must have either a press, or a proportionate 

 number of straps, with buckles at one end, which 

 will serve to press the packets of blotting-paper 

 between the two planks. We should also have a 

 tin box, and a large book of blotting-paper, with a 

 loose back, shut with little straps, and capable of 

 being carried in the form of a knapsack. This 

 book and box, will serve during a journey for a 

 temporary herbarium. 



When we are stationary, we take the plants from 

 the book or box, and place them in sheets of dry 

 blotting paper ; between each sheet, containing a 

 plant, we must be careful to place two or more dry 



