678 



mSTOKY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



in sand or gravel. In this way tliey readily 

 strike, -whereas, if planted in the loam in the 

 middle, they will faili*"' 



The cuttings should not be inserted to a great 

 depth, and a moderate degree of heat, moisture, 

 and light is preferable to any excess. A glass 

 frame or handbell cover promotes their striking 

 very considerably, by tending to promote an equi- 

 librium of atmosphere and temperature. The 

 degree of heat necessary, depends upon the 

 nature of the plants. In general, cuttings dur- 

 ing the process of striking require less heat than 

 the vigorous parent plant. Cuttings of decidu- 

 ous hardy trees taken oiF in autumn, should not 

 be put into lieat until spring, but should be kept 

 dormant like the parent trees. 



Piping is a mode of propagating used with 

 herbaceous plants having jointed tubular stems, 

 and has been already described when treating of 

 the Dianthus and other garden flowers. 



CHAP. LVIII. 



DRYING AND PEESEE\'ING PLANTS AND VEGETABLE 

 SPECIMENS ward's PORTABLE CONSERVATORY. 



The formation of an herbarium of dried plants 

 is an almost essential requisite for the botanist, 

 and forms an interesting and highly useful re- 

 ference to the student and the practical cultiva- 

 tor of plants. 



The following directions are the results of the 

 experience of an eminent botanist, Dr Greville. 



Plants are preserved by placing them between 

 sheets of absorbent paper, and then submitting 

 them to pressure until they are quite dry. To 

 dry plants is a very simple operation ; and there 

 are collectors who seem to think that, if all 

 moisture is expelled, nothing more can reason- 

 ably be expected. This, however, is not suffi- 

 cient for the purposes of science. The botanist 

 must aim not only at retaining as much as pos- 

 sible the character, but the original beauty, of 

 the plants he wishes to preserve. Continental 

 botanists, especially the Germans, are celebrated 

 for the beauty and completeness of their speci- 

 mens ; and the black, curtailed, and carelessly 

 arranged vegetable remains which in this coun- 

 try are often dignified with the name of botani- 

 cal specimens, are justly regarded by them as 

 utterly worthless, and would equally be rejected 

 by every one anxious to form a valuable collec- 

 tion. 



Specimens should be taken (when practicable) 

 in fine weather, and free from external moisture. 



They should be in a perfect state of growth, 

 their leaves and other parts uninjured. When, 



* Knight. 



as is the case in some plants, the lower stem- 

 leaves differ in shape from the upper ones, and 

 the plant is too large to preserve entire, portions 

 of the lower parts of the stem with the leaves, 

 should be taken separately : if the root-leaves 

 also differ, they, too, should be preserved. In 

 some cases, it is important to have the young 

 shoot with its fully developed leaves, as in the 

 genus salix, where the stipules are deciduous ; 

 and also in the genus rvhus, where the leaves, 

 &c. of the barren surculi are most characteris- 

 tic. In short, it should always be borne in 

 mind, that a perfect specimen of any plant in- 

 cludes every characteristic part. Bad specimens 

 are always to be rejected, unless the plant is 

 of great rarity. Varieties are always interest- 

 ing, as well as remarkable states and monstrosi- 

 ties, or deviations from the ordinary arrange- 

 ment of any of the parts. In regard to the size 

 of specimens, the best guide is the paper most 

 generally used in good herbaria: this is about 

 seventeen by ten and a half inches. No speci- 

 mens should therefore exceed sixteen inches in 

 length by nine and a half inches in breadth. 

 Plants under this size should invariably have 

 the root attached. It may be laid down as a 

 general rule, that the entire plant should be 

 taken, if, by a little management, it can be 

 brought within the above-mentioned limits. 

 Grasses, carices, and plants of a slender habit, 

 may be folded once or twice backwards and for- 

 wards, if necessary ; and long slender ferns, &c., 

 may in this manner be presei'ved without muti- 

 lation. When it is inconvenient to obtain the 

 root, the stem should be separated below the 

 insertion of the root-leaves. The young collec- 

 tor is reminded, that specimens in fruit are to 

 be selected as well as those in flower. 



The apparatus requisite for collecting and pre- 

 serving plants are. 



The Digger. This is a sort of trowel seven or 

 eight inches long ; the spud two and a half inches 

 long, two and a half inches wide at the top, nar- 

 rowing gradually to two inches at the bottom, 

 the lower angles slightly rounded. It should be 

 made sufficiently strong, to resist considerable 

 force in digging out plants from the crevices of 

 rocks, &c. 



The Vasculum or botanical box. The diligent 

 collector will find it convenient to have his boxes 

 of two or three sizes. One of them should be 

 small enough for the pocket, and is very useful 

 for the reception of small and delicate plants, 

 and such objects as demand peculiar care. The 

 principal vasculum, for distinction's sake, we 

 call the magnum. It should not be less than 

 twenty inches long, eight or nine inches wide, 

 and five inches deep, having a strong handle at 

 one end. The form most strongly recommended 

 is a flattened oblong, convex onboththe upper and 

 under side, the curve of the lid being similar to that 



