ON TAKING IMPRESSIONS OF PLANTS. 
149 
ON TAKING IMPRESSIONS OF PLANTS. 
By Mr. E. Keena.nl 
('Communicated by Mr. Billington .) 
The advantage of being able to take accurate impressions of 
plants without much labour, need not be pointed out to those 
who can appreciate what is useful. It is not brought forward as 
a substitution for dried specimens, where these can be obtained 
and attended to; but as being less cumbersome it deserves 
notice, as a means of refreshing the memory, in very many 
instances, in a manner equally satisfactory as when speci¬ 
mens are employed. It has, further than this, no claim to 
novelty, but simply to usefulness. 
The materials required are few, and these not expensive. 
One pennyworth of lampblack and one pennyworth of sweet 
oil, are all that will be required besides the paper. A large 
sheet of paper should be provided, and this should be prepared 
by rubbing it evenly all over with a piece of flannel moistened 
with the oil; this must be done thoroughly, and when the paper 
is well moistened, but not in a wet state with the oil ; a small 
quantity of lampblack should be laid evenly over it, also using 
flannel for this part of the operation. If this preparation can be 
made a day before using the paper, it will be so much the better. 
The next process requires great care:—having the prepared 
sheet in readiness, place on it evenly and flatly the plant, flower, 
or leaf, of which an impression is required; then place over this 
a dry sheet of paper, and with a handkerchief or cloth press 
firmly over every part, that it may equally and regularly receive 
the black preparation. The paper intended to receive the im¬ 
pression should now be in readiness, and the specimen must be 
carefully removed and placed on it, and great care must be taken 
that its position is not changed; this, too, must be again evenly 
and firmly pressed as before, and the impression will be com¬ 
plete and must be laid carefully aside to become dry. A speci¬ 
men or two can be tried on a spare sheet, in order to ascertain, 
whether the blackened sheet is in a proper state of preparation, 
before it is attempted to take a very careful impression. Thi s 
is particularly valuable in preserving sketches of the leaves of 
rare and valuable plants. 
