CHAPTER XIX 



PACKING AND SHIPPING PLANTS AND 

 FLOWERS 



WITH the increased output of plants and flowers from 

 wholesale ranges, the packing and shipping have become 

 an art. In a large number of instances a firm's reputation 

 for fine produce is strengthened by the careful manner in 

 which it is packed for shipment and the consequent 

 freshness of the plants when received. In the earlier days, 

 any box, no matter how old or soiled, was considered good 

 enough for shipping flowers and plants. Comparatively 

 new, light, wooden or pasteboard boxes are essential for 

 a good shipping trade. 



733. Long-distance shipments. While it is true that 

 long-distance shipments from eastern growers to central 

 and western retailers are less frequent than in former 

 years, there is still considerable plant material shipped 

 throughout the country. The writer recently witnessed 

 the unpacking of a long-distance shipment of plants, and 

 was impressed by the care and thoroughness with which 

 the packing had been done. Hardly a leaf or blossom 

 was injured, and the plants appeared as fresh as if they 

 had just come from the greenhouses. 



Palms, dracsenas, araucarias, azaleas, rhododendrons 

 and many other species of plants sold in the United 

 States are propagated extensively in Germany, Holland, 

 Belgium, France and other foreign countries. They are 



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