to choose the samples destined to represent them ; the choice would be'easy if onewould establish a rule never to quit a declivity, a mountain, a country even,without having made the section (geologically). We should add that thesesections should be the principal object in tfie labours of the geological tra-veller.
Too large samples must not be taken, samples of 10 to 8 centimetres, by 3 or4 of thickness, arc sufficient. Larger samples must not be taken unless theycontain the remains of organic fossils, such as animal skeletons. To pack thesesamples, they must be covered with fine paper; above this paper they will putthe ticket or note of bearing or latitude, then a second fine paper that will liesurrounded with tow, and all will be enveloped in grey paper. These sampleswill then be put in a box, placing them upright and in successive beds, asclose together as possible, and filling the interstices with cut paper or tow, ina way to form a mass that nothing can derange. No space must be left betweenthe last bed and Ihe cover. The box must be tarred to avoid humidity.
The merit of geological collections being principally in the knowledge of localcircumstances in which each sample is taken, it is indispensable to join to thesecollections well-arranged caialogues. They will repeat the numbers of thesamples and directions written on the labels; all details should be insertedwhich may give a complete idea of the strata which have been observed, andsketches and drawings taken on the spot should be placed either in the marginor the body of the books. It would be well to have duplicates of the catalogues.One of them pressed between two pieces of board well tied, should be placed onthe top of one of the boxes, the other should be adressed directly to M. Yatte-mare.
CHAPTER II.
The botanical riches of the museum are composed — 1° Of living vegetablescultivated in the garden — 2° of the collection of dry plants or herbals, of the dif-ferent parts of plants dried and in alchool, such at woods, fruits, etc. And of allthe produits of the vegetable kingdom that are capable of preservation — 5° of thecollection of fossil plants.
Living plants.
To promote the progress of science, agriculture and horticulture, it is importantto collect in a central garden, like that of Paris, the greatest number of livingplants possible.
To attain this end, either living plants must be sent, or their seeds both of theseways are attended with difficulties, according to the nature of the plants, and theleu’gth of the voyage they have to endure.
We shall only treat the parcels sent from countries out of Europe that mustendure a voyage of from one to four or live months, because packages which areon the road but l." or 20 days, only require those ways of putting up employed inall the nurseries of Europe .
In the transportation of living plants, distinction should be made of the ligneousplants, young trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, which are neither pulpy plants,tubercles or roots, from that of these last vegetables
The transportation of the roots, nnderground bulbs and tubercles, such as thoseof the lily tribe, irides, dioscarea, land archides, aroidees, gesneria, of many ofthe Oxalis, Trospoculum. etc., is easily effected by packing these parts carefullyin dry moss, or very dry sand, with wiclt the box should be filled up; the parasi-tic orchides or epyphites, witti green bulbs, can be sent in wooden boxes, piercedwith little holes, and kept dry; all the old leaves should be taken off, as, in theirdecay, they cause dampness, and the roots, wrapped in dry moss or cloth. Thesame means may he used for the pulpy plants, such as the cactus: any dry flexiblesubstance, not subject to dampnes, as hairwool etc. may be used to pack them.These pulpy plants, if large, should be separated from the others, so that they maynot be tainted by their decay.