162 THE NUKSEKY. 



but liighly injurious and disreputable to the trade ; and 

 it is by no means fair to class such people amongst re- 

 spectable and honorable nurserymen. 



Purchasers are often at fault in this matter. Nursery- 

 men have to buy and pay for the material used in pack- 

 ing. Mats cost one to two shillings apiece ; straw, three 

 cents per small bundle ; yarn, one to two shillings per 

 pound ; moss, three to four dollars per load, in many 

 cases ; and besides, the labor of packing, when well done^ 

 is very great. It is, therefore, not unreasonable that a 

 charge be made ; but some people, rather than pay 

 twenty-five or fifty cents for packing fifty trees, would 

 expose themselves to the risk of losing all. Purchasers 

 should invariably charge the nurseryman to whom they 

 send their orders, to pack in the hest manner. Better pay 

 one or even two cents per tree for packing, than lose it or 

 injure it so much as to make it almost worthless. 



The mode of packing pursued here is this : Where the 

 trees are packed in bundles, a number of ties are first 

 laid down, then a layer of long rye straw, three or four 

 inches deep ; the trees are then laid compactly together, 

 straw being placed among the tops to j^revent their being 

 chafed when drawn together, and damp moss from the 

 swamp is shaken among the roots. When the bundle is 

 built, long straw is placed on the top as below, and it is 

 then bound up as tightly as it can be drawn. Straw is 

 then placed around the roots sufficiently thick to exclude 

 the air, and then a bass mat is sewed on over the straw. 

 If the bundle is only to go a short distance, the straw 

 can be so secured around the roots that the mats may be 

 dispensed with ; but if it has a long journey to perform, 

 it should be matted from bottom to top, and sewed with 

 strong tarred spun yarn, about as thick as a goose quill. 

 Boxes are rather more secure for very long journeys ; 

 they should be made of white wood, or some light timber 



