The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-19
The HOME.
HOW TO MAKE A HERBARIUM.

HOW TO MAKE A HERBARIUM.
The herbarium is necessity if one
| would become good botanist. We for
get SO easily that the results of one sum-
mer will be lost before the next, unless
we can sometimes refer to our "collec-
| ton"
Newspapers are good enough for
pressing. Procure several, and tear
them into sheets of uniform size. If you
take the flower right from the box, it's
leaves will lie fiat, and will almost arrange
themselves. Place several thicknesses of
newspaper between the plants; cover
| under and over with flat boards about
| two feet long, and press under trunk
or equally heavy weight. A separate
| press for small and delicate flowers can
be made of old magazines under pile OF
books. These must be looked at oftener
than those in the big press, but every
day until the juices OF the plants are
dried, all the specimens should be trans
| The plants which retain their color best
| are those which are thoroughly dried in
1 the shortest time They may take "a
| hours, and if ''feshy'' a week or even
/ more. This may seem a crude way of
drying specimens, but for a traveller,
1 living in trunks, away from home, it is
practicable, and therefore commendable.
Let the pages for the hebarium be of
| uniform size and quality. At any print
| ing Office white or Manila paper, cut
| into half-sheets, can be obtained. The
| approved size is 16s inches by III.
Disregarding the fractions. II by II is
| very convenient size. For strictly scien-
tific purposes, one specimen only is
| allowable on each page. But for pur-
poses of comparison, tits useful to lay
| two or even more species upon the same
page. Fasten the stem and branches
| with short, narrow gummed strips of
paper When the stem will not lie fiat,
/ tie it with a needle and double thread on
the under side. Upon the right-hand
lower corner write in ink the botanical
genus and species, and common names
| Of the flower, with the time and place OF
| it's gathering, and other bits of informa-
ton. Especially note the color OF the
blossom, as it may have changed in dry
ing. Red and yellow flowers retain their
color best; white turns brown or black |;
blue and pink turn white. 8ad ~
Place the species belonging to one
genus inside of covers of thick Manila
paper These ''genus covers" should be
labelled and grouped again in a portfolio
or box under Families The private
| collector will then doubtless find his
house too small. 1t certainly will not
easily offer a closet or case large enough
and suitable for his botanical collection.
To the enthusiast, however, everything
is possible. ne h5A. fol S's
All this may seem like taking a good
| deal of trouble, and it is, but it pays. 1t
is the most facinating kind of work. 1t
possesses over needle-work the distinct
advantage of taking the student out OF
doors for many hours at time. The
collector cannot fail to exhibit the results
| of his Summer work with pardonable
pride. And admiring friends will say,
perhaps, as one of mine did:
''Why, how busy you must have been!
and how like pretty girl those ferns
are, held up to the light and looked at
from the back '-Harper''s Bazaar.
WASHING HANDKERCHIEFs
A unique method of treating fine
handkerchiefs, which is said to be ex-
tensively practised by European ladies.
and equally satisfactory to other people,
contemplates washing in the usual care
full manner, wringing out of either hot
or cold rins1ng water, but not wringing
very dry. The handkerchief is then very
carefully and smoothly spread upon a
mirror. marble table or, if necessary,
even a window pane, from which any
dust has been carefully removed, and
being pressed into place so that all
wrinkles are removed every part adheres
/ closely to the surface. This is especi-
ally applicable to embroidered goods,
They are then left in place and in a
few hours the handkerchiefs will be dry
and beautifully smooth, the process
being far preferable to the use of flat
iron. In the case of delicate colors in
embroidered handkerchtefs, these may
be set by immersing the articles 10
minutes previous to washing, in a pail of
tepid water in which dessert spoonful
of turpentine has been well stirred. In
| the case of very fine muslin, a table
spoonful of borax dissolved in gallon
| Of water is very good preparatory soak.
After remaining in this for half an hour,
they san be gently rubbed in suds made
of a fine white soap and boiling water,
4 which shonld be poured over them, after
which they are left to cool, are then well
rinsed and squeezed, but not wrung.-
Good Housekeeping.
OATMEAL AS A DRINK.
With the season of sunstrokes at hand,
the following recipe from the pen of the
late DR.. Parkes, an eminent English
physician, may prove a blessing to work
ingmen- especially to those who must
bear the heat and burden of the day in
mill or harvest field. tits said by those
who have tried this drink that they
could accomplish more work than when
using beer, and were physically in bet
ter condition. . 1A
The proportions are a quarter pound
of oatmeal to two Or three quarts of
water, according to the heat of the day
and the work and thirst; it should be
Ewell boiled, and then an ounce OF one and
a half ounce of brown sugar added. If
YOU find it thicker than you like add
three quarts of water. Before drinking
it shake up the oatmeal well through the
Iliouid In summer drink this cold; in
winter hot. You will find it not only
auenches thirst but will give YOU more
Strength and endurance than any other
drink. If you cannot boil it you can
take a little oatmeal mixed with cold
water and sugar. but this is not so good
| alwavs boilit if YOU can. If at any time