30 SUB-ALPINE PLANTS 



combat this difficulty, or rather to prevent its consequences, the 

 writer often lays the first delicate specimens in a bed of fresh green 

 leaves placed in the tin. If necessary these can be removed as the 

 tin gets too full. 



When a sponge-bag is not carried, it is often an advantage to 

 have a smaller tin, such as is sometimes called a sandwich-tin, 

 which will go within the coat-pocket. Small and delicate specimens 

 can thus be carried, or it can be used for wet or dirty roots which 

 might damage delicate flowers in the larger box. 



A perfect specimen should have root, stem, leaves, flowers, and 

 fruit both young and mature if possible. If, as is often the case, 

 the fruit cannot be obtained on the same plant with the flowers, 

 it should be gathered separately from another. It is most important 

 to get the fruit, and in a more or less developed state, for in some 

 families, such as Crucifera, Leguminosce, and Umbelliferce, it is 

 at times impossible without it to determine a plant correctly. Good 

 typical specimens should be selected, not necessarily the largest, 

 but the most perfect and convenient in size. When possible a root- 

 leaf or two should be collected as well as stem-leaves, but, of course, 

 in many small plants most of the leaves will be root-leaves. 



The sheets of paper upon which the specimens are finally mounted 

 should not be less than about 15 x 10 inches, which is the size most 

 cartridge paper cuts into, but i6Jxio is still better, and this is 

 about the size adopted in the Kew Herbarium, and quite large 

 enough for ordinary purposes, though exceeded in several of the 

 other great public herbaria. 



When plants are not more than about fifteen inches tall it is 

 better to put them into the tin and the press whole not cut or 

 doubled. When, however, a tall plant or shrub is dealt with, a 

 good flowering branch should be cut off with several of the lower 

 stem leaves, and the root leaves, if any, should be added separately, 

 so as to give the complete habit as much as possible. 



A notebook should always be taken into the field, in which the 

 names, when known, of all the rarer and more interesting plants 

 should be entered, together with date, habitat, locality, and any- 

 thing of special interest worth recording. These notebooks form 

 the basis of both the temporary and permanent labels referred to 

 later. When in a foreign country it is sometimes desirable for 

 botanists to enter the names of all the interesting species they 

 come across in their walks, whether they keep dry specimens or 

 not, for such notes are sometimes useful long afterwards, and it is 

 astonishing how quickly such things are forgotten if not noted down. 



A press is very simply made from two stout boards, about i6| x 

 loj inches, and of sufficient thickness not to warp. The boards 

 are best clamped together by cross-pieces at the ends, in the 

 manner that drawing-boards are made ; and they are either 

 furnished with strong leather straps screws are not advisable 



