452 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



are used. The flowers are then packed in the same way 

 as roses. To prevent any crowding of the blooms, tissue 

 paper should be freely used. 



Water should never come in contact with the petals; 

 therefore they should be covered with oiled paper. If 

 ice is used, it should be scattered among the foliage only. 

 After the flowers are packed, a light strip of wood should 

 be laid firmly across the stems and nailed securely to 

 prevent the flowers from shifting about. Sprays or small- 

 flowered chrysanthemums are shipped in a similar way 

 but in smaller boxes. 



747. Violets and other flowers shipped in bunches. 

 Violets should be shipped in boxes not over six or seven 

 inches deep. Fifty or one hundred flowers are first placed 

 in a bunch, the number being governed by local market 

 demands. Each bunch is wrapped in tissue paper, and 

 they are packed with the stems down. 



Sweet peas, lilies-of-the-valley and Roman hyacinths 

 are also bunched before shipping. The bunches are 

 wrapped in tissue paper the same as violets. ^ A pad of 

 tissue paper is placed in the end of the box for the bunches 

 to rest upon, and tissue paper is also freely used between 

 the bunches, to prevent the individual flowers from being 

 crushed. There should be but one layer of bunches in a 

 box. 



Flowers from bulbous plants, such as tulips, paper- white 

 narcissi and daffodils, are more difficult to pack than most 

 flowers. They are laid flat in the boxes and require a firm 

 packing, but should be guarded well against crushing. 



748. Orchids. Orchid flowers are difficult to ship 

 without bruising, but their value makes the extra work 

 well worth while. This is especially true of cattleyas. 

 The large, delicate petals should be handled as little as 



