ON COLLECTING- AND PRESERVING PLANTS. 117 
the best, except for the very delicate kinds, which require paper of 
a smoother and somewhat more absorbent texture. Blotting-paper, 
however, especially in warmer climates, would absorb the moisture 
too rapidly, and by repeated damping and drying would soon be 
rendered useless. 
Two boards [or light presses made of galvanized iron wire] should 
be provided — one for the top and the other for the bottom of the 
mass of papers. 
For pressure at home, or when stationary for any length of time 
in a given spot, nothing serves better than a weight of any kind (a 
folio book, a large stone, etc.) put upon the topmost board; and the 
great advantage of this is, that the weight follows the shrinking of 
the plants beneath. 
Whilst travelling, three leathern straps with buckles should be 
procured ; two to bind the boards transversely, and one longitudinally. 
It will be further desirable to have a number of pieces of pasteboard 
of the same size as the paper, to separate different portions of the 
collection, either such as are in different states of dryness, or such as 
by their hard woody nature might otherwise press upon and injure 
the more delicate kinds. 
Thus provided, gather your specimens, — if the plants be small, 
root and stem, — if large, cut off branches of 1 or 1 J foot long; 
selecting always such as are in flower, and others in a more or less 
advanced state of fruit. 
Place them side by side, but never one upon another, on the 
same sheet, and lay upon them one, two, or three sheets, according 
to the thickness of the plants, or their more or less succulent nature ; 
and so on, layer above layer of paper and specimens, subjecting 
them then to pressure. 
As soon as you find that the paper has absorbed a considerable 
portion of the moisture (which will be according to the more or less 
srvoulent nature of the plants and the heat or dryness of the season 
or climate), remove the plants into fresh papers, and let the old 
papers be dried for use again, either in the open air or sun, or in a 
heated room, or before the fire. [In drying papers out of doors in 
countries visited by sudden rains, it is a good plan to insert an eyelet 
in one corner of each sheet and string the sheets up. This enables 
