104 
THE FERN WORLD 
Two strong leather buckle-straps to keep boards and paper 
compactly together will be necessary, and a third strap 
passed under the other two at the edges of the boards and 
buckled pvill answer the purpose of a handle by which to 
carry this temporary press and collecting- case in one. 
When the first frond is taken the boards must be opened 
and one of them laid flat on the ground and covered by a 
couple of sheets of the paper. On this the frond should be 
laid after being cut from the rootstock at the base of the 
stipes. Upon it should be placed the remainder of the sheets, 
beginning at the apex of the frond, holding the superin- 
cumbent sheets in the left hand, the left wrist keeping them 
down whilst the right hand — as the whole length of the 
sheet is being lowered — is employed, with the aid of a small 
stiff brush or pointed stick, in adjusting the pinnae and 
pinnules of the frond in a manner to prevent any crumpling, 
doubling down, or bending under of their parts. So soon as 
the entire frond has been satisfactorily laid out, the second 
board should be put upon the pile and the straps secured, 
though not too tightly, in case there should have been an 
accidental doubling under of pinna or pinnule. As other 
fronds are successively secured, the same process must be gone 
over again, care being taken in undoing the boards not to 
disturb the fronds already secured, and to allow at least two 
sheets of paper between each specimen. So soon as the 
collecting boards are full, the next proceeding is to arrange 
the fronds at home for the first stage of pressing. They 
should accordingly, as they are taken from the case, be care- 
fully examined in order to remedy any little disarrangement 
of their parts. This can easily be done whilst the latter are 
green and pliant by the aid of the brush or pointed stick 
already recommended. A small magnifying glass held in the 
left hand will be found a useful aid in this work of properl v 
arranging the fronds, especially of the smaller kinds of Ferns, 
