PRESERVING AND MOUNTING 175 



placed under pressure. Various methods are 

 recommended. The most) convenient is to 

 pass a warm flat-iron gently over the blooms. 

 Another plan is to imbed the flower in plaster 

 of Paris, sprinkling the powder thickly over 

 and into the spaces, and heat the mass at a 

 temperature of 90 or 100 Fahr. for twelve 

 hours in the case of small flowers, and longer 

 in the case of large ones. Free the blossoms 

 from the plaster with a camel's-hair brush, 

 and carefully clean them with petroleum. 

 In either case, after applying the heat, place 

 the flower under pressure in the usual way. 



When the specimen is dry, it should be 

 mounted upon a sheet of stout white paper, 

 foolscap size. It may be easily secured by 

 thin strips of gummed paper laid over the 

 stem at various points. Write upon the sheet 

 the common and scientific names of the plant, 

 the place and date of its finding, and any 

 other points worthy to be noted. All the 

 sheets containing the species of one genus 

 should be enclosed in a folded sheet of brown 

 paper. The whole herbarium may be kept 

 in a set of store-boxes, as to the construction 

 of which I shall have something to say 



