COLLECTING AND PRESSING SEAWEED.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2141, 5 January 1881, Page 4

COLLECTING AND PRESSING SEAWEED.

First wash the sea-weed in fresh water, then take a plate or dish (the larger the better), cut your paper to the size required, place it in the dish with fresh water and Bpread out the plar.t with a good-sized camel'B hair pencil in a natural form ; then gently raise the paper with the specimens out of the water, placing it in a slanting position for a few moment?, so as to allow the suberabundant water to run off, -after which place it in the pres'j (not the " Freo Press"). The press is cither made with either three pieces of board or pasto-board. Lay on tho first board two sheets of blotting paper; on that lay your specimens j placo straight and smooth over them a piece of old muslin or fine cum brio, then jsome more blotting paper [and place another board on the top of that and continue in tbo samo way. The blotting paper and tho muslin should bo carefully removed and dried every day and then replacf d; at tho same time those specimens that are sufficiently dried may be taken away. Nothing now remains but to write on each the name, date, and locality. Tou can either gum them in a scrap-book, or fix them in, as drawings are often fastened by making four slits in tho page and inserting oaoh corner. This is by far tho best plan, as it admits of their removal without injury to tbo page at any future period, if it be required to insert better spocimens or intermediate species. Some of the larger specimens of " algoe" will not adhere to the paper, and consequently require gumming. The following method of preserving them I have tried, and with perfect success. Aftor well cleaning and dressing, brush tho ooarser kinds of algre over with spirits of turpontino in which two or throe small lumps of gum mastic have beon dissolved by shaking in a warm place; twothirds of a small phial i 9 the proper preparation, and this will make the specimens retain a fresh appearance. —" Detroit Free Press."