HERBARIUM. 125 



vent them from shrivelling, which is the very object of 

 pressing them. The degree of pressure should be ac- 

 cording to the nature of the specimens, more being 

 necessary for rugged woody ones than for delicate 

 herbaceous ones $ it should never be so great as to 

 break the specimen and force out the juices. I com- 

 monly apply from 50 to 1 or 2 hundred pounds. 



When a number of specimens are to be dried at 

 once, several folds of empty paper should be interpos- 

 ed between them, and if they are rigid, a piece of book- 

 binder's pasteboard also. The specimens should be 

 frequently taken out and put into dry papers. 



The following is the most expeditious and effectual 

 method of drying the papers I have tried. 



Take a few spare sheets, and having laid the tongs 

 or other convenient instrument from one. andiron to 

 the other of a kitchen fire, set them up against it. 

 When the one next the fire is sufficiently dry and 

 warm, remove it and place a specimen in it, applying 

 the damp paper from which the specimen has been taken, 

 to the backside of the parcel before the fire, and so on, 

 taking a dry paper from the fo reside of the parcel and 

 applying a moist one to the backside, until all the spe- 

 cimens are changed, when they are to be replaced in the 

 press 



Another method equally effectual and more comfort- 

 able in warm weather, though not so expeditious, is to 

 iron the papers dry with a hot flat-iron, instead of plac- 

 ing them before the fire, and then place the specimens 

 in them as before. 



This should be repeated as often as once or twice in 

 a day, or oftener if the weather be damp, or the speci- 

 mens crowded. The best specimens I ever nrenarcd 

 were done by changing and drying the papers once 

 every half hour until they were dry. I cornmoniy \\$Q 

 printing paper, which having little size, is more ab- 

 sorbent than other kinds. 

 11* 



