no THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



The first methodical examination of a plant is best made 

 in a room, and it is advisable to have a bare unpolished table, 

 or to protect the surface or table-cloth so that the necessary 

 mess can be made. The first study of the plant will probably 

 disclose some difficulties which can only be cleared up by ex- 

 amining further specimens or plants at another stage of their 

 growth. Many points also regarding the mode of growth, the 

 method of pollination, the dispersal of the seeds, etc., will have to 

 be inquired into by studying the plants as they grow in nature. 

 It is well to start, however, with specimens of the plants collected 

 and brought home, so that they can be examined with comfort 

 and the results methodically recorded. 



A word must be said as to collecting material. If possible 

 this should be done by the student himself, since this ensures 

 a general knowledge of the situation and mode of growth of 

 the plant. Small plants should be carefully dug up so as to 

 obtain the root system uninjured. This may be done with a 

 stout knife, but a trowel or digger is better for the purpose. A 

 number of specimens should always be collected, and should, 

 if possible, show flower-buds, flowers, and fruits. When flowers 

 and fruits cannot be obtained at the same time, and indeed 

 in every case, the plant should be studied at different seasons. 

 In the case of larger plants, such as shrubs and trees, it is obvi- 

 ously impossible to collect the whole plant. Shoots showing 

 as much as possible of the mode of growth and bearing flowers 

 or fruit should be taken. The branching and the general form 

 of the plant should be studied in living specimens in position, 

 and advantage should be taken in the case of trees of any up- 

 rooted specimens to make notes on the root system. To carry 

 the specimens home and to keep them fresh, they are best kept 

 in a tin box, and the collecting-tin or vasculum of the shape 

 which tradition has sanctioned will be found the most convenient 

 thing for the purpose. The vasculum should be of good size, large 

 enough to take in complete specimens of any moderate-sized 

 herbaceous plant, and should be fitted with a strap by which it 

 can be slung over the shoulder, leaving the hands free. Many 

 plants keep better for a day or two in the vasculum than when 

 removed and put in water. 



