PACKING FOR TRANSIT 99 



much worse the next day. The operation of dressing the 

 Incurved varieties was explained in another chapter. In 

 order to carry the flowers successfully to the exhibition 

 after being dressed, they will require cupping fairly hard to 

 prevent the petals getting out of place in transit, and the 

 boxes must be very carefully handled or much harm may 

 be done. 



All long- stemmed blooms, decorative and Single var- 

 ieties, should be placed in water for a few hours before 

 travelling to ensure their coming up fresh after reaching 

 the show and being placed in water. 



The packing of flowers with long stems needs consider- 

 able care, and though they are best packed upright with the 

 stems in water the careful packer may lay them flat in boxes, 

 if he prefers to do so, placing a wad of wood wool or paper 

 under each row of stems to take the weight off the flower 

 and so prevent bruising of the florets, fixing the stems with 

 a piece of bamboo extending from side to side of the 

 box. 



The disbudded Singles should be packed in this way, as 

 a few florets of these, even if slightly bruised, quite mars 

 the beauty and symmetry of the flowers. 



Undisbudded sprays of either the decorative or Single 

 varieties may easily be carried in flat boxes, and if bunched 

 in the same way as the market growers arrange them for 

 market they travel quite well, and if firmly fixed in the 

 boxes cannot easily be injured. 



To arrange the flowers at the show to the best advan- 

 tage plenty of time must be allowed, and it is not so easy 

 a matter, especially to a nervous individual, as the same 

 operation would be in the privacy of his own home, there 

 being many things to distract the attention, and possibly an 



