( 5 ) 
ticular flowers or fruits belong to the same specimen. When putting 
out specimens for drying, lay upon one of the bamboo frames or upon 
a wire frame of the same size four double sheets of drying paper. On 
the topmost sheet spread as many specimens (which should, however, 
always be of the same individual gathering) as the sheet will contain 
in as natural positions as possible, taking care to flatten out the leaves 
and to prevent the flowers from curling up. If the specimens be 
too long for the paper, fold them carefully or cut them in two. 
But avoid laying one part of a specimen above another ; if the leaves 
or the flowers be too numerous to make this precaution possible, take 
some of them off, but always leave little bits of stalk to show whence 
leaves or flowers have been removed. Above this layer of specimens 
lay four more double sheets of paper; again on the uppermost spread a 
new layer of specimens, taking care that over the parts where' the speci¬ 
mens of the previous layer exert most pressure those of the new layer 
shall exert little or none at all. Again lay four double sheets of paper 
and again spread a layer of specimens, repeating the process till there 
are six layers of specimens thus accommodated. Above the last place 
four more sheets of paper, above all a second bamboo or wire frame, and 
tie up the bundle thus made with string sufficiently tightly to prevent 
the specimens from slipping about between the sheets of drying paper. 
In drying thick stems it is often advantageous to split them vertically 
into two, and where the plant is fleshy the central softer part of the 
stem may also be taken out and thrown away. Fleshy fruits may be 
cut into thin transverse and longitudinal slices to facilitate drying. But 
where this is done, it is worth while also to attempt to dry some speci¬ 
mens of the same fruits uncut. Stone fruits and berries are often very 
difficult to dry if taken ripe ; unripe or already shrivelled ones should 
therefore be gathered, only the colour of the ripe fruit being noted and 
ripe seeds collected and preserved. Soft fruits are best of all preserved 
in spirit. When any very succulent part is to be preserved, it is f)ften 
a good plan to wrap a sheet of the drying paper round it so as to form 
an absorbent pad. And always when drying soft structures like suc¬ 
culent stems or gourds or berry and plum-like fruits, also when drying 
hard fruits that are fragile and when drying fungi, it is advisable to in¬ 
tersperse narrow but thick rolls of paper in such a manner as to obviate 
all save the very gentlest pressure on them while they are being dried. 
A little experience will show the colletor that there are many pod and 
capsule fruits that will, as they dry, break up and shed their contents, 
no matter what care be bestowed on their drying or what delicacy be 
exercised in handling them. Many of these, however, will remain intact 
if judiciously bound with threads while still green and before being 
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