RETARDING BLOOMS 53 



place, and the whole stand fitted into the case provided 

 for it. When their destination is reached it is an easy 

 matter to lift them out and give them a few finishing 

 touches, ere placing them on the stage or show bench. 

 Should blooms be required, however, to be shown on 

 l"g stems, the system of packing must needs be entirely 

 different. It will be advisable to obtain boxes or trays 

 of sufficient 4^pth to take the largest blooms without 

 unduly crushing the petals, and of sufficient length and 

 breadth to take a dozen at least of such blooms in one 

 layer. If the boxes are made of a uniform size several 

 may be tied together, one above the other, when going 

 long journeys. 



Each bloom should be wrapped in a sheet of clean 

 tissue paper, and the best method is to bring the paper 

 round under the bloom and so catch up the lower petals, 

 then gather the corners together and give them a slight 

 twist. This will keep them clean and also prevent 

 petals hooking to one another when being removed 

 from the box. The best material for packing, I con- 

 sider, is tissue paper shredded small and just crumpled 

 through the hands. It is soft, light, resilient and clean, 

 and does not hang to the blooms or foliage. My first 

 experience of this system of packing was a wedding 

 bouquet of choice orchids, and although travelling many 

 miles by rail, there was not a bruised petal. 



The next best material is undoubtedly wood-wool, 

 used so largely in packing fruit. Before using it should 

 be thoroughly beaten on a mat or cloth to remove all dust, 

 this will also help to open it out, as it is generally in a 

 very compressed state when purchased, and will then be 

 quite fit for use. 



The foregoing hints on packing blooms for shows may 

 also apply to dispatching quantities on long distances for 

 decoration or other uses. Of course space would have 

 to be lessened for large quantities, and in the case of 



