Roessler's Portable Wire Plant-Press. 
AS DESCRIBED BY PROFESSOR D. C. EATON. 
A few years ago. Professor Al- 
phonso Wood described In the 
“ Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical 
Club,” a wire or wire-netting bo¬ 
tanical press, which he had found 
of great service while collecting 
plants in California. But it does 
not appear that any presses of 
Professor Wood’s pattern were 
ever manufactured for sale. 
Mr. Paul Roessler, of New Ha¬ 
ven, Conn., has now, however, 
perfected a wire botanical press, 
something like Professor Wood’s, 
but more like the presses used in 
some parts of Germany. It will 
be seen from the accompanying 
engraving that instead of a heavy 
wire border, the border is of thin 
strap iron, A, which is perhaps an 
improvement. 
One side of the press is fur¬ 
nished with chain-work straps E, 
and the other side with four little 
hooks, projections, to which the 
chains may be fastened, by any 
one of their links, with no trouble, 
roessler’s portable wire plant-press. g0 tliat w h e ther empty or full, the 
press will securely hold and compress the contents. Elastic straps, D, at the 
ends of the chains, are furnished with hooks to secure the chains, so that the 
press cannot be thrown open by accident, but may be opened trad readjusted with¬ 
out delay. The presses have their sides of knitted wire-work drawn tight, and 
are handsomely japanned, so Hint they will not rust. They may be carried by 
either a handle or strap, as seen in the figure. Presses or portfolios of this kind 
have the very great advantage of permitting evaporation to go on from the sides, 
while board presses depend entirely on absorption by the dryers. I have found 
that by the use of a press of this kind, even kelps and rockweed (Laminarias and 
R. Fuci) may be readily dried, especially if the press be placed in a current of 
heated air, as for instance, over a common hot-air register. These presses are 
made of just the proper size to prepare specimens suitable for the common size of 
American herbarium paper, 16$ by lli inches. 
The undersigned keeps on hand and for Sale a full assortment of Botanical Micro¬ 
scopes, such as the Gray’s large Class microscope, for dissecting; the Tenney 
microscope, and others; also, all the implements used in the study of botany, such as 
dissecting knives, forceps, Eaton’s plant digger, apd paper for drying and pressing. 
Respectfully, 
PAUL ROESSLER, 
251 Chapei Street, New Haven, Conn. 
