'[21] DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING PLANTS — KNOWLTON. 



he wise to take them out of tlie general pile and pat them under very 

 fglight pressure to avoid crushing the cups. 



If the portfolio or hand press is chosen, the operations are about the 

 same, only that the folded sheets of pressing paper and a few driers 

 are carried into the field. The specimens are labeled and placed be- 

 tween the papers just as described above as soon as gathered. Upon 

 returning home the sheets of spciraens are placed between fresh driers 

 and put under pressure. 



A very light, strong, and serviceable portable press may be made 

 with some thin slats of tough wood and a rather large shawl strap. 

 The slats are made into two lattice-work frames, which enclose the 

 papers, the shawl strap going around the whole. 



When the sheets of specimens are dry they are taken out of press 

 and usually the contents of two or three sheets combined into one, pro- 

 vided they all have the same number. If there are still two or more 

 sheets of the same number, they should be placed together in a folded 

 sheet, so that in the pile of finished specimens each folded sheet rep- 

 resents one number. These are then tied up into packages about three 

 inches in thickness, and if desired a tag may be pasted upon one cor- 

 ner, which will hang down over the end, so that the package can be 

 dentified from the outside. If the package is to stand shipment, it 

 should be inclosed in rather tough wrapping paper and a cardboard or 

 I drier placed on each side and firmly tied up with stout twine. Such 

 i package of plants will be found elastic and durable, and will stand 

 my reasonable amount of rough handling without injury. 



PRESERVATION OF PLANTS IN ALCOHOL.* 

 COPPER TANK. 



For the satisfactory preservation of alcoholic specimens of plants 

 bhe following articles will be found useful and economical : Four one-gal- 

 lon copper tanks, each to contain three-fourths of a gallon of 75 per 

 sent alcohol. The four tanks should fit tightly into a strong wooden 

 box so that they will stand with the covers up, and the box should be 

 furnished with strong hinges and lock. 



TEST-TUBES. 



The common chemical test tubes are satisfactory. They should be five 

 inches long and be provided with cork stoppers. The number to be 

 taken will of course depend upon the extent of the expedition. A 

 small label of strong white paper should be tied by a strong string to 

 feach test tube. The tubes should be kept in some kind of a box, so 

 Arranged as to have them packed in closely, and should, like the other 

 box, have a strong lock. 



* By Theodore Holm, Assistant in Botany, U. S. National Museum. 



