48 orchid-grower's manual. 



wood, and many of their leaves were as green as though they 

 had been in an Orchid house instead of having made such a 

 long sea voyage in a glass-topped case. One point of import- 

 ance is to take care to well secure the plants to the sides of 

 the cases ; because, if allowed to roll or swing about, they get 

 bruised and soon rot, which is very vexing after all the trouble 

 and expense bestowed on importing them. In the case of the 

 PhalcBnopsis Schilleriajia just referred to, some of the pieces 

 of wood had become loose, rolling about during the journey, 

 which caused injuries. In such cases, if any leaves are bruised 

 during the journey, the best way is to cut them off at once 

 before decay begins ; for if allowed to go on, there will be 

 danger of the whole plant being destroyed. With the cases 

 just alluded to, I received also a close box filled with Phalcc- 

 nojysids packed in the dry bark of trees, which is a very bad 

 material for such tender-leaved plants ; when I unpacked this 

 box there was not a green leaf to be seen — the shaking of the 

 rough material just named, during the long journey, had de- 

 stroyed all the foliage. If these had been packed in very dry 

 soft moss, they would most likely have travelled safely. I 

 have also received plants in good condition from India in close 

 boxes, packed in dry soft shavings, while on the other hand 

 many are entirely spoiled in that way. The cause of failure I 

 attribute to their not being packed in a proper state ; the 

 plants themselves, as well as the material employed, should be 

 well dried before packing, and care should be taken to avoid 

 bruises, which often prove fatal. Cattleyas and plants with 

 similar pseudobulbs I have received in close boxes from 

 Brazil, packed in dry shavings, and have found them, when 

 opened, in good condition ; but care had evidently been taken 

 to pack them firmly in the boxes, so that they did not shake 

 about on their journey. 



The best time of year for receiving Orchids in this country 



