BOOK in. CHAP. IX. 91 r 



fmeared with bees wax, foftcned with a little oil, and then packed in a 

 fhallow box, contrived with fquare parti(ions, each juft large enough 

 to receive one of the fruit, or with divifions formed by three or four 

 rows of ftrong cord laced acrofs tight ; the cover fhould be fitted fo as 

 not to fqueeze them. If necelTary, the vacancies may be loofely filled 

 with well-dried plantane trarti, or dried corn-hufks, and a good num- 

 ber of gimblet-holes bored all round the fides. When on board, it 

 (hould be flowed where no wet can get at it, and railed an inch above 

 the floor, by two ledges faflened to the bottom : the length of the box 

 is not material, but the width ought not to exceed i 8 inches, or two 

 feet at moil, for the convenience of ftovvngeon board, where the trou- 

 ble arifing from cumberfome package?, often occafions their being tum;- 

 bled out of the way into improper places, to the injury of the produds- 

 contained in them. 



After purfuing thefe diredions, it refts to entrufl: the conveyance 

 and management on board, to- a careful and intelligent captain,, or 

 other chief officer of the fhip [rtj.. 



[e] Mr. Ell's, tliR ingenious gentleman before - mentioned, having lately favoured the 

 public with Ibnie additional obfervations on the means of preferving feeds and plants in a. 

 vegetating ftate, when brought from dlllant parts, 1 lliali here infert fuch of them as appear to be 

 of the molV ufe and importantCi 



Seeds of the true rhubarb, which were folded up in paper, and fent in letters by the packet to Se- 

 veral of our colonies in North America, did not fucceed well; whereas, thofe that were fent by the 

 fame conveyance, after having been inclofed ia flat tin boxes, or varnilhed iion fnuti-boxes, and 

 then put up in paper covers, grew very freely, as did thofe put up in chip boxes, and kept by the 

 captains in their cheih.or bureaiis during the voyage. The reafcn of this deiect of the leeds fent 

 inclofed in paper only, appeurs plainly to have arifen from their. being, prelfed too clofe together by 

 the many letters in the miil ; and kept in a damp llate for,, perhaps, two months or more, by whicii 

 means' chey became putrid, and halt rotten, by the time they arrived. 



(CX Thofe feeds that were brought to England by I\Ir. Banks and Dr. Solander, pjeferved'in wax, 

 did not grow; for they were too thin and .chafly to keep any time, unlefs they had been prefeiTcd 

 within their caplu'cs, in fmall fnuti'-bo5;es, or, perhaps, in phials. 



C3, Another ©bfevvation occurs in regard to feeds prelervedin wax, which is, that if they are not 

 fown immciliateVy upon being taken out of the wax, they will certainly peridi; and this is one rea.- 

 fon, why fo many feeds of the/c'<z-iVfr, that have been inclofed in wax, hare mifcarried; fpr uheu 

 they arrive, the perfons whaieceive them, ttke tljem out of the wax to be diftribuied amono- their 

 many friends; fo that they Itldoin arc fowii till fome time alter, when xhe germeii, which foon wi. 

 thers, has already loft all its vegetative powers. 



Another d^fed arifes from their being kept for fomc days expofed to the air (after being taken out 

 of the wax) before they are put into the ground., ^ 



This may aiiprd a hint to gentlemen both in th.eEaft and Weft Indies, to order their feedfmen to 

 put up the feeds in fuiall packages, that the whole in each package may be fown at the fame time;, 

 for the external air (vvhich is very hot in thofe countries compared to a Northern climate), as foon. 

 as the feeds are expofed to it, immediately dries up their natural moifture, and caufes their lobe 



leuvcs.. 



