no PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



guided somewhat by the prevailing weather conditions, but, 

 generally speaking, they should be placed in water for five 

 or six hours before being packed for travelling. If the 

 weather is dry, try to cut the flowers on the evening before 

 the show, but not after dew has commenced to fall. Place 

 them in water in a dry, airy shed, and give the blooms plenty 

 of air space between them. If wet weather prevails, then cut 

 the flowers several hours earlier, and place them in vases 

 or jars in a house where there is just a trifle of heat, giving 

 plenty of air. They will be found to dry fairly quickly if 

 treated in this manner, and, packed carefully, I have seen 

 them come up fresh and unmarked after twenty hours in 

 the hampers. 



Packing for Transmission to Show. Many methods 

 are employed for carrying the flowers, but flat hampers 

 about 5 inches deep are far and away the best. They 

 hold one layer of bunches only, so there is no danger of 

 crushing ; neither is there much danger of the flowers spoil- 

 ing through moisture accumulating as it does in boxes. 

 If the weather is very hot and dry, line the basket with 

 waxed paper this prevents too much evaporation ; and if 

 the blooms are wet and the weather damp, then use very 

 soft tissue-paper, and this will absorb a fair amount of the 

 moisture. Immediately on arriving at the show, endeavour 

 to get the flowers unpacked and placed in water. If this 

 can be done four or five hours before judging commences, 



