BOTANY. 



295 



in a flowering state, which should be dried, and the particu- 

 lars annexed. The plan we have adopted, is to col- 

 lect the specimens in as perfect flowering state as can be 

 procured ; these must be gathered on a dry day, and placed 

 in a common tin Tasculum or pocket herborizing Box, as 

 collected, and secluded as much as possible from the air, on 

 returning home the plants should be carefully spread upon 

 paper, and covered with a few sheets of common blotting 

 paper and placed under some small degree of pressure, after 

 the plants have remained in this state for twenty-four 

 hours, the papers should be examined to observe if any of 

 the leaves or flowers are in a distorted or unnatural posi- 

 tion, as they will at this time be perfectly flexile, and 

 can easily be restored to a natural position, they should 

 be again covered with blotting paper, and the plants gently 

 smoothed with a heated flat iron, such as used for domestic 

 purposes ; this maybe repeated till they are quite dry, when 

 they may be finally placed between paper, and all the particu- 

 lars relative to each written on the opposite page. Such plants 

 as are evergreens, or succulent, will retain their foliage better 

 if previously to drying they are immersed in boiling water, 

 and then carefully dried, as by this method the vital principle 

 will be destroyed, which often occasions the leaves to fall 

 ofl', by an efl"ort to produce new ones. 



All flowers of a harsh, thick or woody texture^ ssmany of 

 the Proteas, &c, should have the under side of the flowers 

 cut away, by which means they will be more portable, and 

 give a more correct portrait of the living plant. ]Vlosses 

 only require to be placed between paper, with but little 

 pressure ; Licliens only to be drycd in the shade 



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