X DIRECTIONS FOR DRYING AND PRESERVING PLANTS. 



plants may be procured, having both flowers and fruit at the same time. 

 If possible, they Bhould be procured in that state. If this cannot be 

 done, specimens with (lowers should be procured, and afterwards, those 

 with fruit. On some plants the flowers appear before the leaves, as is 

 the case with many trees, in such cases the leaf must be procured after- 

 wards but should be taken from the same plant. 



Pressing. 



After haying collected some specimens, lay one of your boards on the 

 floor or on a table, and place three driers upon it ; then upon the top of 

 the driers lay a sheet of paper which you have prepared for the purpose, 

 and open it, letting one half of the sheet lie over upon the table ; then 

 lay a plant upon that which rests upon the driers, and after having ar- 

 ranged the leaves, flowers, root, and fruit, if it has any, so as to present 

 a natural appearance, turn the half sheet over it, and lay upon it three 

 more driers, and so oil, till you have arranged as many as you wish ; then 

 lay the other board upon the top of the whole, and place upon the board 

 a weight. A large stone may be used for this purpose, or several may be 

 used. Some plants need heavier weights than others. The weight should 

 be just sufficient to keep the leaves extended smoothly ; if too much 

 is used, it crushes the parts and causes them to turn black. Some plants 

 will turn black in defiance of the most careful management. Most her- 

 baceous plants change their color to some extent, yet, with care, they will 

 retain much of their natural appearance. 



Having left the plants in press for ten or twelve hours, the top board 



should be taken off and laid upon the table beside the pile, three 



fresh driers laid upon it, and the damp ones should then be removed 



from the top of the uppermost plant, and the plant be laid carefully 



upon the top of the three fresh driers without removing it from between 



the folds of the paper in which it was placed ; then three fresh driers 



laid upon the top of the plant, and so on till all have been removed, when 



the board that was at the bottom may be laid upon the top, and the 



weight replaced ; the damp driers should then be placed on a line to dry. 



This process of changing should be carried on till the plants are in the 



condition of well-cured hay. They may then be removed from the press 



and placed between the folds of dry paper, cut to the size of the driers. 



When a plant is put into the press, a bit of paper should be laid in with 



it, on which Bhould be written the generic and specific names of the 



plant ; also the name of the place where it was collected, and the date; 



and if anything uncommon is noticed about it, this should be mentioned, 



as follows • 



Viola, 



lanceolata ; 



Freehold, Monmouth Co., N. J , 



.May 10th, 1851;. 

 ( i rowing in a peat bog. 



Flowers unusually large. 



