FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED. JOHN CHARLES OLMSTED. CHARLES ELIOT. 



OLMSTED, OLMSTED & ELIOT, 



LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS. 



EDWARD D.BOLTON, WARREN H. MANNING. 



Superintendent of Construction. Superintendent of Planting. 



Brook l1 nh,M A ss. M& y» 25 > I 894 - 



METROPOLITAN RESERVATIONS FLORA. 



Dr. Chas. W. Swan, No. 79 Worcester, St. Boston, Mass., has con- 

 sented to take charge of the special work on the following families: - 



Juncaceae Rush Family 



Cyperaceae Sedge Family 



Graminaae Grass Family 



Collectors may send specimens to him for determination and pres- 

 ervation and all communications concerning such famxiXKx specimens 

 and these families may be addressed to him. Ultimately all observa- 

 tions on these families will be placed in his hands so that he may 

 prepare the report upon them. 



Dr. Swan has prepared the following suggestions for collectors: - 



Grasses should be collected in flower; sedges and rushes in 

 fruit, and all with roots or rootstocks except in the case of heavy 

 tussocks when the entire culm will suffice. Over-ripe specimens 

 may be collected additionally for perfect fruit. 



The best method is to collect in moderately thin folded sheets 

 in the portfolio, and several specimens of a kind should be preserved 



If the sheets are too thin their flacidity makes difficult, h 

 handling, and handling is further facilitated by a single stiff 

 sheet which marks the place of deposit of the last filled sheet, and 

 is drawn from under and placed upon each accession, the process being 

 begun at the back of the book. Some attempt should be made at ar- 

 rangement having in view the size of an herbarium sheet (11^ x 16fc 

 inches ), and the leaves should be laid as flat as possible. Driers 

 in the portfolio are injurious, as they take up moisture before pres- 

 sure and are liable to cause shrivelling. The portfolio should be 

 treated not as a press, but as a vasculum. Plants should be trans- 

 ferred in the original sheets to driers and moderate pressure on the 

 evening of the day of collection, and so ultimately dried before 

 being sent to the curator. 



Upon the sheet containing each plant should be written the date 

 of collection, name of collector, precise geographical locality, geo- 

 logical characteristics, nature of the soil, whether high or low, 

 dry, moist or submersed, rocky, sandy, loamy or peaty, by human habi- 

 tation or far from them, by roadsides or in fields, in sun or shade 

 or depth of forest, frequency of occurence, whether solitary or with 

 fellows, mode of occurence, whether tufted or individually, and rem 

 marks may be made upon the association of the species. 



It is not expected that the collector shall be burdened with all 

 these details in every instance, but that he shall give such of them 

 as he is conveniently able to do as varietal differences frequently 

 depend upon habitat. Plants may also be sent unprepared in a moist 

 box when time presses or at the choice of the collector. When other 

 means are not at hand, specimens may be placed in the folds of a 



