Gullies, canyons, and stream beds are also good places to examine. These areas are continually subjected to the processes of erosion or stream action, and new material is uncovered year after year.
If there are abandoned coal mines nearby, the dumps of waste [rock] around the mine shafts could be checked. A careful examination of such waste may reveal fine specimens of well-preserved plant fossils.
Coal has been mined in several parts of Texas, and abandoned shafts or dumps are still present in some counties. The bituminous coals of Texas are predominantly [Pennsylvanian] in age, and mining has been carried on in the following counties: Eastland, Erath, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Wise, Young.
HOW TO COLLECT
When a likely collecting spot has been located, the ground should be examined very carefully to see if there are any [rock] fragments which contain pieces of shell or the imprints of leaves or other organisms.
If the fossils have been freed by weathering, they can be easily picked up and placed in the bag. Many times, however, it will be necessary to take the hammer and very carefully remove the surrounding [rock]. Smaller specimens may be more safely freed with the careful use of the proper size chisel by gently tapping the chisel and gradually chipping away the matrix—the rock that is holding the specimen. After most of the matrix has been removed, the [fossil] should be carefully wrapped and placed in the collecting bag.
Before leaving a collecting locality, one should be sure to record its geographic location and the [geologic age] of the [rock] in which the fossils were found. The place should be located on the map and the locality entered in the notebook in such a manner that it could easily be located again for additional collecting. If a county or [topographic map] is available, it is wise to mark the locality on the map. The geographic and geologic data should be written on a label placed in the bag of fossils collected at that particular locality. In addition, many collectors find it helpful to write the locality on the outside of each bag of fossils.
Material from separate localities should be kept in individual cloth or paper bags, and the collector should take every precaution to keep the labels with their respective fossils. Remember that a [fossil] without a locality is hardly worth the paper it is wrapped in.
The collector should always ask the land owner’s permission before entering or collecting on private property. One should respect all property, especially livestock and fences, and leave the area cleaner than when entered. If these precautions are observed, future collectors will probably be welcome to return for additional collecting.