3 



the press are often made of wood or wire lattice-work, but the 

 boards are better if they can be procured. In addition to their 

 standing more hard usage, the edges will bend about the plants 

 collected, keeping the moisture in, a condition greatly to be 

 desired until the drying press is reiched, however much we 

 may wish to be rid of it later. The collecting press may be 

 of any size, but the size given above is the most convenient 

 from the fact that the collecting sheets are slightly smaller 

 than the standard herbarium sheet, thus insuring that all speci- 

 men s collected will be of proper size for mounting. Speci- 

 mens that are so large that they can only with difficulty be 

 crowded on the herbarium sheet, are an abomination. If one' 

 happens upon plants which he wishes to preserve and has 

 left his press behind, a few old newspapers make a fairly good 

 substitute. The plants should be placed one upon another 

 in a compact pile and then wrapped about with the papers. 

 If kept in a cool, shady place, the plants will remain fresh 

 for a long time. The crown of one's hat may also serve in 

 an emergency. I have known of specimens that traveled more 

 than thirty miles in such a receptacle, and came out in good 

 order. 



The use of the collecting press depends to some extent 

 upon what and how much is to be collected. For desultory 

 collecting about home, or for longer trips when a compara- 

 tively small number of specimens are to be collected, the press 

 is operated thus : It is first opened and spread out flat. A sheet 

 of the white paper is then laid on one side and a plant placed 

 u.pon it, then another sheet of paper and another specimen and 

 so on, paper and plants alternating until all that have been 

 gathered are formed into a compact pile (Fig.2) The press 



Fig. 2. 



