Perhaps you would like to start your own collection of rocks and
minerals. For this purpose you will need a _hammer_ (a prospector’s
hammer with a pick on one end of it is a good tool), some _newspapers_
to wrap around the specimens to keep them from breaking, and a _cloth
bag_ in which to carry the specimens.
[Illustration: Prospector’s hammer.]
Before you start to collect, be sure to ask the owner’s permission to go
on his property. If he agrees to let you come on his land, be careful
about closing gates, and do not leave holes into which his livestock
might step and be injured. Look out for snakes. Plenty of rattlers,
copperheads, and moccasins are still left in Texas. And, incidentally,
collecting is not allowed in State or National parks.
To identify the rocks and minerals that you collect, you probably will
need several articles with which to make simple tests. The following can
be easily obtained:
1. A _pocket knife_, a _copper penny_, a piece of _window glass_, a
_steel file_, and a piece of _quartz_ to test the hardness. If you
prefer to use a group of minerals of known hardness, such as those of
Mohs scale described on pages 16-17, you can either collect your own
or buy a prepared set from a mineral supply house.
2. A _streak plate_ to test the color of the mineral’s streak. Mineral
streak plates can be purchased, or a piece of unglazed tile can be
used.
3. A _magnifying glass_ to examine small cleavage surfaces, crystals,
and rock grains. A number of different kinds can be bought, from the
simple reading glass to the precisely made hand lens. A lens with
ten-power magnification is good for general use.