REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST FOR 1924 1 01 



that they be placed lengthwise of the press. If they are placed 

 around the short way of the press it w'ill not be possible to fit the 

 loose boards, mentioned below, closely at the sides and heat will 

 be lost. Doublefaced corrugated strawboards are cut so that the 

 corrugations run the short wa}- (crossways) and are used between 

 the dryers. When succulent material is to be dried it is perhaps 

 preferable to use one corrugated board between each pair of drvers. 

 For the ordinary type of material two plant sheets with three dryers 

 between each pair of corrugated boards is found entirely satisfac- 

 tory. Grasses and other similar plants will be found to dry satis- 

 factorily when three specimens and four dryers are placed between 

 the corrugated boards. Folded sheets of newspaper are found to 

 be entirely satis factor}- for use as plant sheets, though the special 

 sheets for sale by all dealers in herbarium supplies are preferred by 

 many collectors. When plants are being dried for illustrative pur- 

 poses a layer of sheet cotton may be used to advantage between the 

 specimen sheets and the dryers. 



When only a few^ plants are to be dried and the press is thin, a 

 floor of loose but closely fitting boards should be laid on each side 

 of the press on the rack so that all of the heat wdll be forced through 

 the corrugated boards. For this purpose four boards i8 inches long, 

 two of which are i^ inches, and two 3 inches wide, should be kept 

 conveniently at hand. 



Most material will dry in this press in less than 24 hours although 

 very succulent plants wall require a longer time. Attempts to hasten 

 the drying of succulent material by the application of more heat 

 may only serve to either scorch the plant press or spoil the specimens. 

 If one plant dryer is not capable of handling the collections desired. 

 a second one should be added, or more as are needed. If the plant 

 press is turned over every few hours during the early part of the 

 drying period the plants will dry in a shorter time. As the plants 

 become dry considerable shrinkage occurs and it is desirable to 

 tighten the straps once or twice. 



Where large quantities of plants are being dried at one time the 

 apparatus described may not prove as satisfactory as some other 

 methods in use, although a battery of four or five such presses will 

 be found to be ample for ordinary class work. For the laboratory 

 or herbarium w^hich has only occasional use for a plant press, or 

 for the individual collector, to whom time is valuable, it will, we 

 believe, be found quite satisfactory. It should also be useful in 

 high schools and vocational schools. 



