24 SEA MOSSES. 



and most graceful things that grow. When you have 

 put the last finishing touches upon the " floating " 

 process, and your " Sea Moss " is adjusted upon your 

 paper so as to be " a thing of beauty, and a joy 

 forever;" then you want to lay the paper upon some 

 inclined surface, any smooth board will do, to drain 

 away the superfluous water. Thence it is to be trans- 

 ferred, in a few moments, to the press, for drying. 



This is made in the following manner. Laying 

 down one of the above described sheets of blotting 

 paper, botanist's " drying paper," or boards of muslin 

 covered deal, you lay your paper with the plant on 

 it upon this, the plant up. Cover the board or drying 

 paper all over with " floated " specimens in the same 

 way. Over all, and lying directly upon the plants, 

 spread your piece of muslin. Upon this, put another 

 sheet of the paper, or board, and upon this again, 

 a layer of plants, then a piece of the muslin, more 

 paper, plants, muslin, and so on till you have disposed 

 of all of your collection, or so much of it as you care 

 to mount. Upon the last layer of plants put a final 

 sheet of paper, and over all, a stout board, as large 

 as the drying paper. Upon this lay some heavy 

 weights — stones will ■ be as handy as anything at the 

 sea-side. I should put on, I think, about fifty pounds 

 of them if I were using botanist's drying paper, 



