PREPARING ORCHIDS FOR TRAVELLING. 19 



on the spike, then fix some sticks firmly in the basket or pot, 

 and tie the spike to them, without letting the stick touch the 

 flowers : wadding should then be put in between the flowers 

 to keep them apart. 



Phalcenopsis grandiflora and amabilis travel badly, and 

 require much care. The best way is to get a box and set the 

 plant in the bottom of it, which must be long enough to 

 allow the flower-spike to lie at full length ; wadding should 

 then be placed underneath the flowers, which should lie flat 

 on the wadding ; another sheet of wadding should then be 

 placed on the top of the flowers, in order to make them lie 

 firm. I have also taken them to shows treated in the same 

 way as recommended for Vandas. 



Dendrobiums. Some of these only require a stick to each 

 pseudo-bulb fixed firmly in the pot, to tie the bulb to : such 

 as D. nobile, D. macrophyllum, D. Devonianum, D. monili- 

 forme, and sorts with similar flowers. Those varieties that 

 flower with pendulous racemes, such as D. densitforum, D. 

 Farmeri, and others growing in the same way, require three 

 sticks, one to the bulb, to which the latter should be firmly 

 tied ; then put the other two to the flower spike, one at each 

 end, in the same way as with the Saccolabiums. 



Calanthes are bad travellers, especially C. veratrifolia, the 

 delicate white soon gets injured if allowed to rub against each 

 other ; put a stick to each flower-spike to prevent the flowers 

 from injuring each other. 



Cattleyas require to be packed very carefully ; their flowers 

 should be tied so that they do not touch one another. I 

 always put a stick to each flowering bulb, and tie it 

 firmly, and a stick to each flower-stalk, just below the 

 flower, with a piece of wadding round the stalk ; after- 

 wards tie the stalks to the stick; neither the stick nor 

 the leaves should be allowed to touch the flowers, or they 

 will bruise. 



Oncidiums travel well ; they only require a strong stick 



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