PACKING ORCHIDS FOR CONVEYANCE TO EXHIBITIONS. 43 



what care will do with even the most deHcate flowers was 

 given in the case of the plant of Odontoglossum Alexandres 

 exhibited in this collection, which, after standing at the St. 

 Petersburgh Exhibition for a fortnight, was again packed np 

 and exhibited three weeks later at the Royal Horticultm-al 

 Society's Gardens at Kensington, with the loss of only one or 

 two flowers. 



I have had a good deal of this work to do, and a few hints 

 on the subject to young beginners may be of practical use. 

 Some kinds bear can-ying much better than others. PJiajiis 

 Wallichii and P. grandifolius are both bad plants for travelling, 

 if not well packed. I have seen fine plants brought to difl'erent 

 flower shows with their flowers completely spoiled for want of 

 careful packing, though I have shown JP. Wallichii several 

 years at the Chiswick and Regent's Park Exhibitions, and 

 always managed to convey them without injury. In preparing 

 them, put a strong stick to each flower spike ; the sticks should 

 be long enough to go into the earth, and remain firm ; they 

 should be placed at the back part of the flowers, and should 

 stand one or two inches above the flower spike ; some wad- 

 ding should then be fastened round the stick, and the flower 

 spike tied firmly to it, putting more wadding or fine paper 

 round every flower stalk, and tying each firmly to the flower 

 spike. Begin at the top of the spike, and tie every flower 

 separately, so that they do not touch one another. The 

 leaves must not be allowed to rub against the flowers. On 

 arriving at the end of their journey, untie them, remove the 

 wadding, and tie them out in the proper form. In tying, 

 care should be taken not to rub the flowers. 



Saccolabiums and Aerides do not require so much packing. 

 It is sufficient to put two or three sticks to each spike — one 

 at each end, and one in the centre, if the spike be long, 

 or two only if it is short. The stick, which should only be 



