72 
FORMATION AND ARRANGING OF A HERBARIUM. 
out cutting and mutilating the leaves. When the leaves and flowers 
do not come out at the same time, or grow too far distant from each 
other, take a little branch in flower and another in leaf, and place 
them close together in the herbarium. You thus have before you 
different parts of the same plant, sufficient to give a complete know¬ 
ledge of it. As to plants where leaves only are to be found, the 
flower being past or not yet come, you must patiently wait till they 
show themselves, in order to be fully acquainted with them, a plant 
being no more certainly known by its foliage than a man is by his 
clothes. 
Such is the choice to be made of what we gather, and we must 
choose our time when to gather. Plants gathered in the morning or 
evening, when the dew is on them, or in the day time when it is 
wet, will not keep. We must choose a dry season, and the dryest 
and hottest time of the day, and if the least moisture be found on 
them, recollect they will certainly not keep. 
When they are gathered and brought home, preparations must be 
made as soon as possible to arrange them in your papers. For this 
purpose, lay down one sheet of gray paper, and upon this half a sheet 
of white; then place upon it the plant, taking great care that all the 
leaves and flowers are well opened and laid out in their natural situ¬ 
ation. If it be a little withered, without being too much so, it will 
generally spread out better with the fingers and thumb. But there 
are some that are rebellious, and that start up on one side whilst be¬ 
ing arranged on the other. To prevent this inconvenience, I place 
leads upon those parts which I have put in order, w hilst I am ar¬ 
ranging the rest, so that when I have done my specimen, it is almost 
covered with these pieces, which keep it in its proper situation. 
I then place another half sheet of white paper upon the plant, 
pressing it with the hand to keep the plant in its position, bringing 
the left hand that presses gradually forward, and at the same time 
taking away the leads with the right. I then put another sheet of 
gray paper upon the second white paper, pressing it all the while lest 
it lose its position. Upon the gray paper, place another of white, 
and upon this another plant arranged and covered like the former, 
till you have placed the whole harvest, which ought not to be too 
large at once, lest your task be too laborious. And take care that 
your paper do not contract too much humidity during the drying, 
which w'ould infallibly spoil the specimens, unless you hastened to 
change the papers, which must be done from time to time till they 
are perfectly dry. Your pile of plants and papers thus arranged 
must be put in the press, without which the specimens will not be 
