114r Scientific Intelligence. [March, 



the state in which you gather them ; and they will require little or no assistance 

 with the hand, when laid out upon papers, to appear to the best advantage ; 

 especially if put in carefully on being fresh gathered. If the specimens cannot 

 be laid down immediately upon being collected, they should be preserved in a 

 tin box, where they will keep fresh for a day or two, if the atmosphere be not very 

 much heated. 



Some very succulent plants, such as Cacti, Semperviva, Seda, Orchideous 

 Plants, &c, some plants with very fine but rigid leaves, such as the Fir tribe and the 

 Heaths, and some with compound pinnated leaves, require to have the specimens 

 plunged into boiling water for a few seconds before they are pressed ; this greatly 

 facilitates the operation, by destroying the vegetative principle and preventing the 

 leaves of many from falling oft' in the act of drying. In this case, the superabun- 

 dant moisture should be absorbed by a cloth, or by applying, temporarily, pieces 

 of blotting paper. 



In most parts # of Europe, and in all countries not oppressively hot, it is a good 

 plan, and saves much paper, to lay out the specimens on their respective sheets, 

 on the floor of a chamber during the night, or for five or six hours during the day, 

 putting them up again and submitting them to pressure, as before, on the same 

 papers. By this means, much humidity both from the plants and the paper is ab- 

 sorbed by the atmosphere, and the colour is better preserved. If, however, the 

 climate be hot, a much shorter time will suffice, or the leaves will shrivel. 



When sufficiently dry*, which with the greater number of plants, and in warm 

 climates, will take place in the course of a few days, (and with two, or at most 

 four shiftings of the specimens,) they should be placed between dry papers, one 

 sheet of folio between each layer of plants ; and they are then ready for transpor- 

 tation, either packed up in boxes, or well secured as a parcel, covered with oil-cloth. 

 A great many specimens may thus be sent in a very small compass. 



Palms having their fructification, and their leaves very large, are with difficulty 

 subjected to pressure. A few of their flowers should be pressed ; and the cluster of 

 fruit and a leaf may be simply dried in the air, and afterwards packed in boxes for 

 transportation. 



Ferns and Mosses, arid the larger proportion of Cryptogamic Plants, may be 



dried in the common way ; such Mosses as grow in tufts, being separated by the hand. 



Sea-weeds should be immersed for some hours in fresh water before they are 



dried ; and common blotting paper is the best for absorbing the moisture from 



these plants. 



If the Fruits of plants are of a small size, so as to be preserved in a Herbarium, 

 they should be gathered with the leaves and branches, as are the flowers. If of a 

 large size, they should be kept separate. Dry Fruits demand no care, except 

 those which split open by means of their valves. These require to be tied round 

 with a little packthread. 



Pulpy Fruits are only to be preserved in spirits of some kind, and they should 

 have a number attached to them, referring to the flowering specimens. 



The best way to introduce plants from abroad into our country is by seeds. 

 These should be gathered when perfectly ripe; and if a number of each kind be 



* The being sufficiently dry may be ascertained by the stiffness of the stems and 

 leaves, and the specimens not shrinking or curling on being removed. 



