16 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [ Pol. 8, No. 1 



with that exploratory work. Also, during that time when naught but oddments could 

 be snatched along the trails, or where an occasional day only could be devoted 

 to straight botanical work, the duplicates were not so ample as one might wish. 

 The last six months saw a much better organized system of collecting and hand- 

 ling the material; this resulted in our ability to produce much larger numbers of 

 specimens . 



I have been asked on occasion for details of the methods we used and so, for 

 the sake of those who may be projecting a fairly substantial collecting expedi- 

 tion, these may be outlined. In the first place, it is useless to think of collecting 

 either efficiently or on anything like a satisfactory scale in the rainy tropics un- 

 less one dries the specimens with artificial heat. This is a prime requisite. I 

 have discussed this item at greater length elsewhere and need not repeat the 

 arguments in favor of the system (see: M On the Use of Artificial Heat in the Prep- 

 aration of Herbarium Specimens, M Bull. Torrey Club 73:235-243. 1946). I would, 

 in fact, extend the method there outlined to any part of the world, and to any type 

 of plant material, if there is need to handle any but the smallest amounts of ma- 

 terial, and if one has a sincere wish to turn out quality specimens. 



So far as the actual collecting is concerned, I would not be caught with a vas- 

 culum as used in the usual manner. They are an utter abomination and have re- 

 sulted in more poor specimens than one wishes to contemplate. If one must use a 

 container, then use a waterproof bag of some sort. But in doing so, take special 

 care that the material of each number is wrapped separately (usually in a piece 

 of newspaper) and so placed that odd flowers and other parts will not fall out 

 and become mixed with other specimens. The argument that one saves time by 

 jamming a lot of loose specimens into a vasculum, to be sorted that night, is fal- 

 lacious,, Such statements are made by those who have never done any time-studies 

 on the necessary operations to produce a dried and finished specimen. In actual 

 practice, my usual method is to collect directly into the newspapers, using only 

 an occasional blotter between every three or four numbers, if they have ample 

 duplicates. The actual field procedure is as follows. 



The field presses are loaded with the amount of newspapers one soon learns 

 will be necessary for the day's work, plus a little extra for emergency collecting. 

 These presses should have special straps so that they may be used as packs, or 

 special slings can be fashioned according to the carrying customs of the assis- 

 tants available. (The tump-line over the head is favored by most indigenous car- 

 riers, but I personally prefer a combination of both tump-line and shoulder webs.) 

 Arriving at the scene of the first collecting station, the presses are shed, along 

 with other equipment not then immediately needed. Sometimes one assistant would 

 be assigned to a particular task, the climbing or felling of a tree, or to the col- 

 lecting of a particular series of plants. More often, as our group became experi- 

 enced, we would split up and individually go in different directions, each agree- 

 ing to stick rather well to a certain type of habitat. It also would be agreed that 

 we would return to the presses at a certain time, usually at the end of a half hour 

 or so. Each man carried a machete, and the first man back would enlarge the 

 clearing a little if it was not sufficient in the first place. He then would lay his 

 specimens out in small piles, carefully separating the individual collections,, 

 Soon we all would be back and the actual process of putting them away would 

 commence. 



Each man would stand beside his piles of specimens and I would have my 

 small field book ready with the first number. The number would be placed promi- 

 nently on a sheet of newspaper and the assistant quizzed about the details of the 

 plant — its type, habitat, or any other item not visible on the specimens. Then, 



