8 MISC. PUBLICATION 568, U. S. DEP'T. OF AGRICULTURE 



the shipment adequately, that is, state the number of packages, how 

 packed or wrapped, and the probable date of arrival. 



Shipments by boat, such as ocean express or freight, to any Govern- 

 ment agency, should be consigned as follows: United States Dispatch 

 Agent at New York, Xew Orleans, or San Francisco, depending upon 

 the route. Here again, in a letter of explanation to the Dispatch Agent, 

 it is necessary to give a description of the shipment and probable date 

 of arrival as well as the name and address of the consignee. 



Under normal conditions, special arrangements can be made with 

 United States diplomatic or consular officers to transmit scientific 

 material by diplomatic pouch to the Inspection House. This is partic- 

 ularly important when living-plant material is concerned. 



When a shipment consists of more than one package, the separate 

 items can be marked package 1, package 2, etc. All packages must be 

 well wrapped, with an outer covering of muslin securely sewed on. 

 Boxes must be strongly constructed. Extreme care should be taken with 

 shipping directions and address tags, making certain that duplicate 

 information is enclosed in the package. The outside address may be 

 typed on linen tags, and these should either be sewed or nailed on, 

 depending upon the type of container. The address, also, may be painted 

 on wooden boxes, or written with an indelible pencil on cloth covers. 

 Ink is not dependable unless it is waterproof. Legibility is, of course, 

 essential. 



GENERAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR SPECIMENS 



The need for making good specimens and for furnishing adequate 

 information about the snecimens becomes apparent if one realizes that 

 his material may be added to the collections of a scientific institution 

 and that as such it will be available for study by scientists in future 

 generations. Omission of any one of the essential data detracts from 

 the value of the specimens: if all data were missing, even perfectly pre- 

 pared material would have little or no value for scientific purposes. 

 Despite this fact, many collectors persist in writing skimpy notes. 

 Most scientific institutions have great quantities of natural-history 

 specimens which are almost worthless because of insufficient data. 



Regardless of what is collected, whether it be a pressed specimen 

 from a tree, an insect, a fungus, a plant product for chemical analysis, 

 or material for planting, the essential and minimum data required are 

 the same for all. (See specific remarks under the separate headings of 

 Pressed-Plant Specimens, Plant Products for Analysis, Propagation 

 Material, Diseased-Plant Specimens, and Insect-Pest Specimens.) The 

 following five paragraphs indicate, in general, the kind of information 

 needed : 



1. Xame (or kind) of material. Some sort of descriptive term should be used as: 



Cultivated cinchona; wild sunflower; drug plant for analysis; stem borer of 

 flax; leaf blight of peach tree; etc. The native or local common name should be 

 sought also. 



2. Where collected. The locality should be cited definitely enough to be found on a 



standard map. Preferably, the place should be indicated in such a way as to 

 permit another person to revisit the exact area even years later. In sparsely 

 populated areas it may be necessary to cite longitude and latitude. 



3. Suppli mentary notes. These cover facts about the specimen which are not obvious 



in the specimen itself. The notes should be as brief as possible yet adequate 

 enough to give a clear word picture of the specimen in its natural state. 



