﻿1S9O.] 
  BOTANICAL 
  GAZETTE. 
  2x5 
  

  

  P 
  

  

  OPEN 
  LETTERS. 
  

  

  A 
  cheap 
  and 
  excellent 
  plant 
  press. 
  

  

  A 
  board 
  with 
  weights 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  press 
  except 
  where 
  one 
  moves 
  around 
  

   upon 
  his 
  collecting 
  tours. 
  In 
  this 
  case 
  something 
  more 
  portable 
  is 
  de- 
  

   sired. 
  I 
  discard 
  as 
  clumsy 
  all 
  presses 
  formed 
  of 
  wood. 
  Several 
  forms 
  

   are 
  advertised, 
  yet 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  none 
  that 
  meet 
  the 
  requirements 
  for 
  light- 
  

   ness, 
  strength 
  and 
  portability. 
  The 
  common 
  board 
  with 
  weights, 
  while 
  

   it 
  is 
  most 
  often 
  used, 
  does 
  not 
  permit 
  free 
  circulation 
  of 
  the 
  air, 
  hence 
  

   specimens 
  dry 
  exceedingly 
  slowly 
  in 
  this 
  way. 
  The 
  press 
  described 
  be- 
  

   low 
  is 
  one 
  which 
  any 
  tinner 
  can 
  make, 
  and 
  excels 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  manufac- 
  

   tured 
  presses 
  which 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  my 
  notice. 
  

  

  Out 
  of 
  common 
  coppered 
  iron 
  wire 
  three-sixteenths 
  inch 
  in 
  diame- 
  

   ter, 
  two 
  rectangles, 
  each 
  twelve 
  by 
  eighteen 
  inches, 
  are 
  made. 
  The 
  tin- 
  

   ner 
  then 
  solders 
  a 
  sheet 
  of 
  galvanized 
  wire 
  screen, 
  with 
  about 
  one-fourth 
  

   inch 
  mesh, 
  upon 
  these 
  frames. 
  The 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  wire 
  screen 
  should 
  be 
  

   turned 
  up 
  over 
  the 
  wire. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  frames, 
  after 
  having 
  the 
  screen 
  

   soldered 
  on, 
  is 
  taken 
  for 
  the 
  bottom 
  piece, 
  and 
  three 
  pieces 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   kmd 
  of 
  wire 
  are 
  soldered 
  at 
  equal 
  distances 
  crosswise 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  frame 
  w^hich 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  come 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  dryers. 
  At 
  the 
  

   SIX 
  points 
  w^here 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  these 
  crosspieces 
  are 
  soldered 
  to 
  the 
  frame, 
  

   pieces 
  of 
  suitable 
  chain 
  are 
  rigidly 
  soldered. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  frame 
  three 
  

   pieces 
  which 
  are 
  long 
  enough 
  for 
  each 
  end 
  to 
  project 
  about 
  three-eighths 
  

   of 
  an 
  mch 
  are 
  soldered. 
  These 
  ends 
  are 
  doubly 
  bent 
  to 
  fit 
  snugly 
  around 
  

   the 
  wire 
  of 
  the 
  rim 
  and 
  to 
  afford 
  curved 
  hooks 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  hnks 
  of 
  

   the 
  chains 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  other 
  piece 
  may 
  be 
  hooked. 
  These 
  ends 
  can 
  

   oe 
  bent 
  cold 
  and 
  trued 
  up 
  with 
  the 
  file. 
  For 
  the 
  chain 
  I 
  used 
  dog-chain 
  

   naving 
  hnks 
  about 
  one 
  inch 
  in 
  length. 
  In 
  this 
  press 
  plants, 
  if 
  exposed 
  to 
  

   tHe 
  sun 
  and 
  wind, 
  dry 
  with 
  surprising 
  rapidity, 
  and 
  the 
  resulting 
  speci- 
  

   inens 
  possess 
  a 
  freshness 
  and 
  pliability 
  that 
  are 
  not 
  secured 
  with 
  presses 
  

   ot 
  other 
  kinds. 
  The 
  press 
  costs 
  from 
  $1 
  to 
  $1.50. 
  . 
  

  

  i 
  use 
  a 
  similar 
  though 
  much 
  lighter 
  press 
  for 
  a 
  portfolio, 
  attaching 
  a 
  

   snoulder-strap 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  light 
  snaps 
  upon 
  the 
  ends 
  for 
  carrymg. 
  i 
  

   snap 
  the 
  fastenings 
  over 
  the 
  wire 
  on 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  piece. 
  

  

  Blackburn 
  University, 
  Carlinville, 
  III 
  Wm. 
  E. 
  Andrews. 
  

  

  NOTES 
  

  

  flow^^'- 
  ■^' 
  ^' 
  ^^^^^^^ 
  l^as 
  a 
  very 
  interesting 
  paper 
  on 
  the 
  doubling 
  of 
  

  

  Monthly 
  

  

  ff^^Jf 
  4/ 
  year's 
  leave 
  of 
  absence. 
  'Hc 
  will 
  spend 
  the 
  time 
  chiefly 
  at 
  

   mbridge 
  in 
  the 
  prosecution 
  of 
  some 
  special 
  work. 
  

  

  Ii«h3 
  ^^E,Li-^nNARY 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  mosses 
  of 
  Staten 
  Island 
  has 
  been 
  pub- 
  

   oJ'i^.d 
  by 
  Mrs. 
  Elizabeth 
  G. 
  Britton. 
  The 
  hst 
  represents 
  the 
  collections 
  

   eignt 
  years, 
  and 
  includes 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  one 
  species. 
  

  

  8tnrl!^^r* 
  9- 
  ^- 
  ORCutt, 
  of 
  Sau 
  Diego, 
  California, 
  is 
  making 
  a 
  special 
  

  

  ■ 
  Sifi 
  '.^' 
  ^''^^«^^^' 
  ^^d 
  would 
  be 
  glad 
  to 
  receive 
  "ving 
  plants 
  or 
  other 
  

  

  jatenal 
  from 
  any 
  locality. 
  He 
  desires 
  to 
  cultivate 
  all 
  the 
  varieties 
  pos- 
  

  

  