370 OPERATIONS OF GATHERING, ETC. 



The roots or root-ends of plants or cuttings are enveloped in a ball of 

 clayey loam, wrapped up in moist moss, or in the case of cuttings 

 or scions of ligneous plants, stuck into a potato, turnip, or apple, and 

 sent to any distance ; or, they may be enclosed in moistened brown 

 paper, or wrapped up in oiled paper, and sent by post. Scions of fruit 

 trees have been sent considerable distances with safety by being care- 

 fully wrapped in cabbage-leaves, the lower side of the leaf being 

 turned toward the scion, as the outer side is impervious. 



Packing Fruits and Flowers. Firm fruits, such as the apple and 

 pear, and flowers either in a growing state in pots, or cut for nose- 

 gays, are easily packed ; but grapes, peaches, strawberries, &c., are 

 with more difficulty sent to a distance without being injured. To 

 pack such fruit, and also the more delicate flowers, a box is suspended 

 within a box, in such a manner that the inner case can never touch 

 the outer one. This mode is " found better than any other for 

 ensuring the safe transport of delicate philosophical instruments, and 

 is equally adapted to ripe fruit. Having packed the fruit in an inner 

 case with soft cotton, or whatever may be deemed best for the purpose, 

 let that inner case be suspended within an outer one by lines or cords. 

 Suppose, for instance, that the outer case is two or three inches clear 

 all round the inner case, and the eight cords proceeded from the eight 

 outer corners of the one, and were fastened to the eight internal corners 

 of the other case. In this way, whatever side was uppermost, the inner 

 case would be suspended from the four upper cords, the four lower 

 ones serving only to steady it and to prevent its swinging against the 

 outer case. If the whole be turned upside down, the functions of 

 the cords become reversed, so that they must all be strong enough to 

 perform either office, about which, however, there is no difficulty. A 

 still better plan, for those who have frequently very choice specimens 

 of fruit to transmit, would be to insulate the inner case by spiral 

 springs, with the addition of small portions of felt or woollen cloth to 

 limit the vibrations; the springs would be very cheaply made, and 

 would avoid the repeated trouble of packing or tying ; but the cords 

 will do extremely well." (' Gard. Chron.,' vol. i. p. 485.) It is 

 likewise common now to have a number of shallow trays of wood or 

 tin, made to fit one above another, to be all enclosed in a larger box. 

 The depth of these trays is that of the circumference of the fruit sent, 

 with a little to spare for packing material : two inches for strawberries, 

 four or five for peaches, four for apples, and eight or ten for grapes. 

 These trays are again subdivided into spaces about the same size. 

 Each fruit has thus a space for itself. Wrapped round with tissue- 

 paper, packed tight with cotton wool, fruits can be sent anywhere 

 without risk of bruising. Grapes, perhaps, travel best fixed to a 

 board, lined with a thick layer of cotton wool, the upper portion of 

 the branch and its sides being left wholly free ; this board, with the 

 grapes attached, is then placed inside a box, securely and immovably 

 fixed in its place, and a lid, which does not bruise the grapes, placed on. 

 Others place tissue-paper over the grapes, and fill the entire space with 

 chaff, bran, or cotton wool. 



