154 Rhodora [September 



just described and found that somewhat better specimens could be 

 obtained, though not so quickly, by using ordinary driers in combina- 

 tion with the corrugated ventilators: a drier was placed over the 

 ridged face of each board, so that the sheet containing the specimen 

 lay between a drier on one side and the smooth face of a ventilator 

 on the other. This scheme was essentially the one used in the field 

 by Professors M. L. Fernald and K. M. Wiegand, " except that one 

 change of driers was made in order to straighten folded leaves, etc." 

 (/. c, p. 223). It was found that such a press could be left without 

 attention for several days, even in a humid climate. Finally, Collins 

 suggested the practicability of using various sources of heat other 

 than the lamp, such as an oil stove, electric heater, cook stove, steam 

 radiator, etc. 



Three years later Ricker,^ in a government circular designed pri- 

 marily to instruct novices in the preparation of presentable botanical 

 specimens, recommended the use of corrugated boards in combination 

 with driers for pressing, advising that the specimen sheet be separated 

 from the ventilators on both sides by driers. He recommends double- 

 faced (d. f.) boards, i. e. boards with both faces covered and smooth, 

 in preference to the single-faced type, and stipulates that the corruga- 

 tions should run lengthwise the board. Regarding the use of the d. f . 

 board Collins (/. c, p. 223) was of the opinion that although "it is 

 better to handle, and can be used either side up, it appears doubtful 

 at present if it has any particular advantages otherwise over the single- 

 faced." 



The primary object of the present paper is to proclaim the advan- 

 tages of the d. f . board ventilators, and to describe briefly our experience 

 in using them under diverse conditions, with the hope that others may 

 profit by our results. During the summer of 1915 and again in 1916 

 the senior writer spent about two months in ecological investigations 

 in northern Cape Breton.^ As a desirable adjunct to these studies 

 considerable attention was devoted to the flora of the region, and some- 

 thing over 2000 sheets of vascular plants were prepared. For pressing 

 and drying, d. f. corrugated boards, cut with the corrugations running 

 lengthwise, were used, driers being omitted except with occasional 



1 Ricker, P. Z. Directions for collecting plants. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. PI. Ind. Cir. 12G. 

 pp. 27-35. /. 1-5. 1913. 



2 See Nichols, G. E. The vegetation of northern Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Con- 

 necticut Acad, of Arts & Sciences 22: 249-467. f. 1-70. 1918. 



