CHAP. III. CONVEYANCE. 91 



think it worth his while to take the trouble of carrying it out 

 for a single order from any private individual. 



Upon this subject Mr. F. Halsey, of Umritsur, made the 

 following important communication to the Agri-Horticultural 

 Society.* 



" I have this year received three cases of plants from England : 

 one for myself containing 14 Eoses, Camellias, and many other 

 plants, all but four were dead on arrival, and all looking well now ; 

 and two for friends, one containing 40 roses, and the other about 

 100, all of which were alive on arrival. With regard to treatment 

 in Europe, the plants must be well established with strong roots, 

 and not despatched before the first week in December. The box 

 in which they are packed should be made of deal, well screwed 

 together to prevent ingress of much air ; the ends inside, where 

 the roots lie, should be lined with zinc and coated inside with thick 

 felt. Every row of Rose roots should be supported by a small deal 

 batten, nailed to the sides of the box from the outside ; the roots 

 to lie in moist pulverised clay mixed with moss. 



" On arrival at their destination in India the box should be 

 opened in a dark and moist room, and each plant be potted ; the 

 soil made light about the roots, but not wetted for the first week. 

 Two or three times a day the top and stems should be syringed 

 freely, but to avoid the water getting to the roots, the pots had 

 better be laid on their sides, and the moister the atmosphere around 

 them is kept the better. After the first week they may be removed 

 from the dark room and a little water may be given them, until 

 the plants show symptoms of growing. When once the plants 

 commence growing, cut them back to four eyes of stem. But the 

 plants must be kept in a moist place and syringed until they have 

 quite got over their journey. The most important things to 

 remember in this country are, to give no water for the first week, 

 and not to allow the sun's rays to fall directly upon the plants 

 until fully established." 



These directions, Mr. Halsey says, were originally given 

 him by Messrs Ban* and Sugden of London. They are precisely 

 the same as Mr. S. Jennings, in a subsequent communication, 

 states he received from the same quarter. 



The clay and the zinc, it is obvious, must add considerably to 

 the weight of the box, and consequently much to the expense of 

 the carriage ; but far better this than incur the loss of so large 

 a proportion as otherwise is all but sure to happen. The addi- 



* 16 March, 1870. 



