In sending specimens of plants for investigation it is I 
desirable to have the leaves, flowers, and fruit; and, in the 
case of bulbous plants, the bulbs, also. When they are 
sent from a distance it is best to prepare the specimens 
by drying them under pressure between folds of absorb¬ 
ent paper, otherwise the parts shrink and break so as to 
be hardly recognizable. When the dried plants are sent 
they should be protected from breakage in the mail by 
being inclosed between pieces of stiff pasteboard. Pack¬ 
ages weighing less than four pounds can be sent by mail 
at the rate of one cent per ounce. Write the name of the 
sender on the outside. In the letter accompanying the 
specimens state where collected, the date, and any other 
particulars of the plant, whether reputed poisonous, pesti¬ 
ferous, medicinal, or useful. 
DIVISION OF BOTANY, 
.. __ _ 
