( 4 ) 
the only thing to be inculcated here is to avoid the use of the tin-box 
—the orthodox ‘vasculum’ that the dealer in botanical paraphernalia 
insists on advertising. 
Finally, attach a kukri-frog to the sword- or shikar-belt, and never 
go into the jungle without putting on that belt and placing the kukri 
in its frog. This weapon, the well-known curved Gurkha knife, is 
invaluable to the botanist; it is light and handy, and it is his axe and 
bill-hook, his spud and pruning-knife all in one. 
So much for material, now for method. Gather and dry the 
whole plant whenever this is possible ; when it is impossible to get 
root, stem and branches together, take portions of the branches 12 
to 18 inches long, always selecting those that are slender and in flower 
or in a more or less advanced state of fruit. Usually such pieces are 
sufficient, but it is sometimes desirable that more than this should be 
taken, as for instance when a tree has flowers only on its stem, or 
when a tree has unarmed branches and yet has spines on its trunk: 
in such cases a piece of bark and superficial stem (carefully noted as 
coming from the same tree as that which yields the branch specimens) 
should be taken to illustrate the fact. Plants or pieces of branches to 
be of the highest botanical value should show in the same specimen 
buds, leaves, flower buds, flowers and fruits in all stages up to ripe¬ 
ness. It is, however, often impossible to find all these together in 
the same branch or even on the same plant. In that case a plant 
should not be omitted ; flowers alone or fruit alone should by all 
means be taken ; another plant or another season often supplies the 
deficiency, and other collections sometimes contain the missing parts. 
The only thing to be remembered is that leaf specimens—‘ samples’ 
of a plant which show neither itS' flower nor its fruit—are worth 
nothing, and that their collection is a waste of effort. 
The attention of the collector should be principally directed to 
trees, and after them to small uninteresting-looking plants. Shrubs 
and showy-flowered species that attract attention by their colours or 
that can be seen without looking up or looking down may be trusted 
to take care of themselves. When one entrusts an untrained collec¬ 
tor to obtain specimens, care should be taken that he does not confine 
his attention to the weeds of waste places and of hedgerows around vil¬ 
lages ; these are usually widely-spread species of little botanical interest. 
It has been already said that the specimens have to be dried tho¬ 
roughly and quickly. If not dried thoroughly, they mould and decay ; 
if not dried quickly, they become unduly discoloured, their leaves 
drop off and their flowers become disintegrated, making it afterwards 
always difficult and often unsafe to say that particular leaves and par- 
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