The plants you wish to preserve should be gathered when the weather is dry, and after placing the ends in water, let them remain in a cool place till the next day. When about to be submitted to the process of drying, place each plant between several sheets of blotting-paper, and iron it with a large smooth heater, pretty strongly warmed, till all the moisture is dissipated. Colours may thus be fixed, which otherwise become pale, or nearly white. Some plants require more moderate heat than others, and herein consists the nicety of the experiment; but I have generally found, that if the iron be not too hot, and is passed rapidly, yet carefully, over the surface of the blotting-paper, it answers the purpose equally well with plants of almost every variety of hue and thickness. In compound flowers, with those also of a stubborn and solid form, as the Centaurea, some little art is required in cutting away the under part, by which means the profile and forms of the flowers will he more distinctly exhibited. This is especially necessary , when the method employed by Major Velley is adopted: viz., to fix the flowers and fructification down with gum upon the paper previous to ironing, by* which means they become almost incorporated with the surface. When this very delicate process is attempted, blotting-paper should be laid under every part excepting the blossoms, in order to prevent staining the white paper. Great care must be taken to keep preserved specimens in a dry place.

Skeleton Leaves

1927. SKELETON LEAVES may be made by steeping leaves in rain water, in an open vessel, exposed to the air and sun. Water must occasionally be added to compensate loss by evaporation. The leaves will putrefy, and then their membranes will begin to open; then lay them on a clean white plate, filled with clean water, and with gentle touches take off the external membranes, separating them cautiously near the middle lib. When there is an opening towards the latter the whole membrane separates easily. The process requires a great deal of patience, as ample time must be given for the vegetable tissues to decay, and separate

1928. A More Expeditious Method

A table-spoonful of chloride of lime in a liquid state, mixed with a quart of pure spring water. Leaves or seed-ressels of plants to be soaked in the mixture for about four hours, then taken out and well washed in a large bason filled with water, after which, they should be left to dry with free exposure to light and air. Some of the larger species of forest leaves, or such as have strong ribs, will require to be left rather more than four hours in the liquid.