INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE COLLECTION & PREPARATION OF PLANTS, SPECIMENS &C.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1486, 4 January 1861, Page 5

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE COLLECTION & PREPARATION OF PLANTS, SPECIMENS &C.

I. HORTIOprITUIUL DEIMItniEN'T. Plants for cultivation may be introduced, — 1. As Seeds, Bulbs, and Tubers, which are easily collected "and transmitted: the Seeds to gathered when quite ripe, and each kind- folded in dry paper, then enclosed as a parcel, or placed in a box, and kept in an airy partof the cabin during the voyage. Bulbs and Tubers to be t'tken, if possible, when the: foliage is withered, and similarly packed/— 2. Cuttings. Most succulent plants, : Aloes, "Euphorbias, Stapelias, Mesembryauthemums,, Bromelias, Agaves, Cactuses, &cc,', 'Stay, should be severed where there is a constriction or articulation in the stem ; and these, when quite dry,~ will bear along voyage, packed 'in a box, with pap-r wrapped about .them, or any dry elastic substance to keep them '•toady.— 3. Rooted plants: some of these, such as small Cactuses, Tillamlsias,Zamias and the various'epiphy.fcal tropical orchidaceous plants will travel safely if placed in a box, like the cuttings just noticed.the larger kinds packed with straw. But -others required' Wardian case, forming a small portable greenhouse. In it the young rooted plants 'should be established, in soil about'six indies deep, the surface of the mass secured by a little moss and transverse splints (to confine the roots in the event of box being over-turned) ; moderately 'vatered ; tbe glazed fastened, on with screws and putty. The case must.be. placed pn deck during the voyage, occasionally protected from the 100 powerful rays. of the sun, and tho contents will require no!; Watering nor attention unless' the glass should be broken during' the voyage. ' II.'" MUSEUM DEPARTMENT. The Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works, &c., having been pleased to form a Museum of Ecoudmic'Botany'within 'the Royal'JGard'ens, tbe Director solicits the. co-opc) , ation, l of iter "Ma. jesty's Ministers and Consuls iv Foreign Countries, of the '.Governors of Her Majesty's Colonies, of Officers in the Array and Navy, Merchants and Travellers generally, to aid in contributiog:Specimens towards so* desirable an object*---The design :is to bring together in:one spot and to. exhibit such!, interesting vegetable products from all parts of the world, as cannot be shewn iii the living plants of a Garden, nor in the. preserved 1 ones ''of ah j , Herbarium. .The public' may indeed see in our.ScoVes'the'raie :Lace Tree of 'Jamaica^ the still rarer Ivory , Palm-Nut bf the Magdalena, the Bread Fruit iTree from the Friendly Islands', &c. ;.>but the jinterest of. these is greatly, enhanced, if,> within the- walls of the same Establishment, the curious .and beautiful L-ice of the first," the fruit and ivory-like seeds of the second, and the 'celebrated bread-fruit of the third/ cw-also be inspected^- 1 - Among the objects, therefore, wbich are tb be collected and deposited, arranged and I named in the Museum, are—* 1. Fruits and Seeds,, especially those which ; are of large size, or possess any; peculiarity of • form or structure eutitllug ; theiri ' to notice. ■ Many of these 1 are naturally .'dry .and require ' little care (except to be fieed from moisture) : previous to packing. Those that, : when < ripe, burst open into valves, or separate by their scales, as Pine-cones, &c, should be; bound i round with pack-thread. The soft andi fleshy j fruits can only be preserved in wide-mouthed • bottes, or jars, or casks; according to size,) in ' alcohol, as rum, arrack, or in diluted "pyrolig- j neons acid or strong brine.— 2. Entire Plants, i or parts of them. Many have a >cry fleshy ; character, and ought to be preserved entire, in ■ alcohol ; or portions of the stem and branches (according to their size) with flowers and fruit ; , such as those of Palms, Stapelia,'Raf_esia and ' others of a similar kindr-^-3. Trunks of Trees, portions and sections of them, especially when they exhibit any remarkable structure: as Palms, aud many other Mouocotyledonous plants, and Tree Ferns,; and parasitical stems, when exhibiting the union with the tree oo* which they live. Specimens of Wood should be truncheons, about a foot longhand four or six inohes in diame ter, if the plant attains such-a.sizp, The kinds used in commerce, for veaeering, cabinetwork, ur other useful purposes, or such as recommend themselves by their beauty, hardness,- qr any other valuable quality are particularly desired. The scientific or other names should be attached, and specimens of the leaves and flowers to identify them. — 4. Gums and Resins, Vegeta-j ble Waxes arid Tallows,' especially those em-; ployed in the Arts or in Domestic economy. — 6. Dye Stuffs of vasious kinds.— 6. Me<3ical' Suhstances.;These latter are of vast importance,' and merit the attention, of Travellers; in every' country. Of many it is not known, except to; the natives who collect and prepare' them, what! are the particular plants that afford them, nor how. they are prepared. It is hoped that the: present application may be the means or dis- ; j-elling this ignorance and that Travellers will' endeavour to procure the substances and welldried flowering specimens of the plants which; afford them.— 7. Geueraf Products of Vegetables; in. the state, of, the raw 'material, ,^p^ manufactured. . It would be extremely^ difficult not to say impossible, to enurneratß, all oftbesO which a Museum ought, to- contain .;. but the enlightened traveller cau form a pretty correct

)\ judgment. . Such as are useful to mankin • can net fail to be interesting. It wouM Be ldl ' to seniJ every well-known- object of this kind Tea, SugarACoflfce,' Cocoa, Chocolate, Papei Textiles, Platting, Basket-work, Clothing, &c. but there aye states even. of these familiar-articles which will prove both useful and instructive Paper, fm* cx-imnle, is made from an infinitt variety of vegetable substances, and the different sorts are well worth collecting ; fyom thai (afforded by tho Papyrus of the ancients (whic'i gives the"- name) to what is manufactured out ol the inner bark of an East India Daphne (oi Spurge-laurel), and another from the pith of a little known plant in China (the so-called RicePa per),' or the leaves of a Palni in India, ov Straw in North America. Of all such, the several states of preparation should be collected and exhibited, not only as objects of curiosity, but as exemplifying the progress o£Art and Science. ,--..'.."'. ' c ! 111. HERBARIUM DEPARTMENT. |I:*i preserving Plants for the Herbarium, or Hortus Siccus, the object is to prepare specimeir&in such' a manner that the moisture may be wholly abstracted, the colors as far as possible'retnitaed, and such a degree of pressure given that they do not curl up in drying. For this purpose provide a quantity of paper of a common folio size, brown, or stout grey, moderately absorbent: the best is " Bentall's Botanical paper," 16. inches by TO, folded ; 15s. per ream • sokl by Newman. Great Devonshire Street, Bishopsg-Ue Street, London. Two boards afe requisite, of the si/a of the paper, one for the Joiytbe othor for the" bottom, of each mass of pa"pei*g.'. Pieoes.of paste or mill-board placed between the papers, if the specimens are Hume rous or particu'aily thiclc and' woody, are very useful, Fur pressure, nothing is better than a heavy" weight ou the topmost board, or, while travelling, three leathern straps abd. buckles; two to bind the boards and papers transversely, and one longitudinally. Tbus provided, gather your specimens, if small, root and stem — if large, cut off portions of the branches, a foot | or rather more in length, always selecting those | in flower and in a moire or less advanced state !of fruit. Long, slender plants, as Grasses, ! Sedges, and many Ferns, may be doubled ohce !or twice. Place them, before they wither, side [ by side, but never pne upon the other on the [same sheet, taking care that one part "is not [ materially thicker than the other, and lay over the specimens one, two, three, or more sheets of paper, according to its thickness or the thickness of your pants; and so on, layer above layer of paper and specimens, subjecting them then to pressure. In a day or two, according to tbe more or lem succulent nature of the plants, or to the nature of the climate, remove jhcro successively into fresh papers till the jraoisture is absorbed, and dry the spare papers in the sun or by a fire for future use. A tiii box or Vase ul urn is essential, made to shut close, to prevent evaporation, in which the j plants will, if required, remain, uninjured for a day and night, especially if the box is well filled. ■ Same very succulent planrs, and those of the Heath and Pine tribo, are the better fov being plunged into boiling water for an instant before they are pressed. When sufficiently dry, the specimens should be put into papers; one sheet or folio (more ii the specimens be thick) between each layer of plants: and thus a great many may be safely arranged in a small compass : and are ready for transport covered with oil-cloth or packed in boxes. Mosses and Cryptogamic plants may be generally dried in the common way, those which grow in tufts being separated by the hand, so as to form neat specimens. Sea-weeds require ii slight washing in fresh water, aud common blotting paper is the best for removing the irioisturefrom'tbis tribe-of plants.- -.A ! Parcels or Packages which may-come by Her Majesty's Ships, or by any of the Royal Mail,br Peniusular and Oriental Company's Steamers, should be addressed::.. ; .; i On Her JVlajesty's Service, For the Royal Gardens, Kew, ! To the Secretary of the Admiralty, 1 .. Londoa. If by Merchant Vessels, or by private hands, to ij Sib Wii/lia.-* Jacksou Hooker, Director ; Boyal Gardeas, Kew, I ..."..;. London. i '■*' "* ■ , ' ,* „" ' ")■ : -■