THE PROFITS OF FLORICULTURE. 189 



each plant, leaving the fibres of the roots uninjured. A 

 layer of dry moss half an inch thick is then spread on two or 

 three thicknesses of thick brown paper ; the plants are then 

 laid on the moss, a similar layer of moss is laid over the 

 the roots, and the paper, moss, and plants, are tightly rolled 

 up. The dry moss absorbs the water from the dripping 

 roots, so that thus tightly enclosed, sufficient moisture is 

 enveloped in the packages to keep the plants safe for a 

 week, provided that the package has been firmly wrapped 

 up. Either additional paper, sufficient to keep in the 

 moisture, or oiled silk, should be used for the outer cover- 

 ing. This process is so simple that any lady may transmit 

 to another some favorite plant or cutting, a distance of 2,000 

 miles, if necessary, at little cost. Where moss is not pro- 

 curable, raw cotton will answer the same purpose ; the 

 only danger to be avoided is in rolling up the package too 

 loosely, in which case the dry air will penetrate and will 

 be likely to shrivel up the plants. No injury will result 

 to the plants by tight wrapping, provided cotton or moss has 

 been placed above and below the roots in sufficient quantity. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



THE PROFITS OF FLORICULTURE. 



It is much easier to estimate the profits of the product 

 of the soil, be it in fruits or vegetables, than to define 

 by any certain rule what the profits of our green-house 

 floriculture are. In fact, we can only approximate to it, be- 

 cause the conditions in which the operations are carried 

 on at different places, or the different articles grown, make 

 anything like a general average for the whole country irn- 



