132 ISms to ike Young Botanist. 



mens according to tteir size, and arranges the parts in sucK a 

 manner as to preserve as much, as possible the natural habit and 

 appearance of the whole plant. Should the plant be too large for 

 the paper, it is to be folded upon itself and the flexure may be 

 retained by parsing it through a slip of paper, slit half an inch 

 more or less for the purpose. The label containing the name, (fee.,- 

 of the plant is then to be placed with it,-and the whole is to be 

 covered by four or six sheets of paper. In doing this gradually 

 from below upwards, care should be taten that every part of the 

 plant be well spread out. The right hand will effect this easily ,^ 

 with the assistance of the knife or forceps, if required. The next 

 specimen or set is to be arranged upon this in the same way, and 

 a similar number of sheets laid over it, repeating the process till 

 it is thought necessary to insert a thin board in order to preserve 

 uniform pressure. Other parcels of paper and specimens are ar- 

 ranged in like manner above it, and so on, till all the plants are 

 prepared, when the second outside board is to be placed on the 

 top, the whole removed to a safe corner and the necessary weight, 

 as formerly mentioned, applied. The plants are to be transferred 

 from wet to dry paper with the utmost care, using both hands 

 and the forceps, when necessary. The first changing should be 

 within twelve hours, and th^ second likewise after the first, as a 

 general ruje. For the following five or six days, a change eveiy 

 twenty-four hours will suffice, after which the interval may be 

 extended more or less. A pressure of ten or fourteen days will 

 effect the drying of most plants, nnd such as are properly dried 

 should be removed and the remainder continued under pressure. 

 Some succulent plants are very tenacious of life and will s|)rout 

 even under great pressure. To prevent this, they must be im- 

 mersed in boiling water for six or eight minutes, then dried with 

 a towel and put between a double quantity of paper. The great 

 point in drying plants is to effect the object as rajjidly as possible, 

 for then they are most likely to retain their natural appearance 

 and colour. 



A few other special directions, which have been omitted, may 

 be mentioned here. For example, roots should be well washed 

 and dried or otherwise cleaned before putting the plant in paper ; 

 bulbs, if large, should be slit in half or partially scooped out; 

 large dry fruits may be wrapped in paper with the name of the 

 plant to which they belong, and afterwards placed with them in 

 the herbarium while large succulent fruits may be preserved in 



