The Portland daily press., 1878-09-04
AGRICULTURAL.
Collecting and Preserving saecimens of
Plants


The articles requisite for the purpose con-
sst OF dozen quires of smooth soft paper of
large size, six boards of about an inch in
thickness, and four iron or lead weights two
OF them about thirty pounds and the two
Others about half that weight) and botani-
cal box of tin and of such dimensions as shall
be most convenient for the collector.
The plants TO be preserved ought, if posi-
BILE, to be gathered in dry weather; but if the
weather be wet, they ought to be laid out for
some time on table till partially dried, and
when the roots are taken up along with stems
they ought TO be washed and then exposed to
the air for the same purpose.
To preserve plants, lay over one of the
boards two or three sheets of the paper. On
the uppermost sheet spread out .he specimen
to be preserved, unfolding its parts so as TO
give it as natural an appearance as possible,
laying out the leaves and flowers with partic-
ular care. Over the specimen thus disposed
of place several sheets of paper; on the upper
most sheet then spread ont another specimen,
and so proceed till all the plants you intend
to preserve are laid down; and having put
over the whole some more sheets of paper,
place board over them with the weights
upon it, which may be number of clean
bricks If the iron or lead weights cannot con-
veniently be procured.
As some plants are delicate and flexible,
and others comparatively thick and hard, the
former class will require less weight to be
placed over them and the latter considerably
more. To preserve the color of the flowers
when drying the greatest care is required in
changing the papers every second day, when
papers first ought to be well dried at the fire.
With regard to keeping the shape of flowers
the utmost care and attention are necessary
when arranging them on the paper, and
which can be done by having another piece
OF paper and gently laying on part OF the
Hover. The part of the flower so covered
with the paper ought to have a small book
placed on it. Then begin and lay out the
other leaves of the flower, and also press it,
and so on until each part has had the gentle
pressure necessary to keep it in position.
Let them remain so for, short time and
then put some heavy weight on them; look at
them next day and change the damp paper.
Ferns have been kept for years quite fresh
in color by this simple mode of drying.
In three or four days the plants thus
treated should be taken out together with the
paper in which they have been deposited and
laid in fresh paper, with three or four sheets
between every two plants, and the board and
weights laid upon them as before. This
process must be continued until the plants
are perfectly dried. Each specimen is then
to be placed on a sheet of dry paper, along
with a memorandum of the name of the
plant, the place and time at which it was
gathered, the character of the soil from
which it was taken, and any other particulars
tending to illustrate its character and his
tory. Presuming the process of drying to be
satisfactorily carried out, the next business
of the collector is the arrangement of the
specimens.
For this purpose procure a quantity of
writing and printing paper of stout quality
and large size, five or six sheets of which
ought to be stitched into colored covers. Let
sufficient quantity of large post writing
paper, cut into halt sheets OF folio size, be in
readiness. Each plant is then to be placed
on one of these halt sheets and fastened 10 it
by means OF slips of paper gummed across it
IN various places. On the top of the page
tae particulars contained in the memoranda
UNI already referred to should be written.
The plants thus scared to the half sheets
must then be placed in the order required
(either by the natural or artificial system)
within the leaves contained in the colored
covers, the size of each bundle of specimens
rendering it convenient at any time for pur-
poses of reference. Twelve of such parcels
so contained in the same number of colored
covers can then be tied up in covers of stout
pasteboard and laid up in cabinet or box
suited to the purpose.
auoIuef ueinou vi drying plantS before
laying them aside and arranging them in
systematic manner may here be mentioned
as worthy OF attention. Get shallow pan
or tray about the size of the blotting paper
used for drying plants. Lay the plants in the
usual way between the sheets of the blotting
paper, and when the tray or pan is nearly
full, cover it over with layer of dry sand,
half an inch thick or so, and place it on the
fender before the fire, and in three hours the
plants will be perfectly dried.-Americau
Cultiudtor,,