24 MARKET NURSERY WORK 



has to pack and dispatch overnight, would choose the early morning 

 for cutting, while the more fortunate grower who can pack and 

 dispatch in the early morning and still catch his market, would 

 cut his blooms in the evening. The point, however, is that the 

 cut bloom must be stood in water for several hours, the ends of the 

 stalks, 2 or 3 inches, being immersed, the heads being well elevated, 

 held in position by the tank divisions, which are usually strips of 

 wood laid across. 



The blooms should not be left on the plants until fully expanded, 

 but have something left " to come " after being cut, the stalks, of 

 course, being long. They should be graded, for one or two inferior 

 blooms in a parcel will very probably reduce its value considerably, 

 most buyers being cute enough to seize any excuse to buy cheaply 

 and take full advantage of a weak sample. To establish a name for 

 careful grading and good packing is the aim of every grower, for 

 this is a valuable asset. He knows it is to his interest to take every 

 precaution to keep to a high standard, and to use special precautions 

 against bruising or any other damage to his consignments en route. 

 Those precautions are simple and effective. The boxes used are 

 3 feet long, 8 inches wide, and 4^ inches deep ; these are lined, 

 amply, with white or coloured tissue ; then a roll of paper is made 

 to lay like a pillow across the box about i inch from the end ; on 

 this roll the blooms are laid, the calyces resting on the roll, and a 

 wad of cotton wool interposing between the blooms and the end 

 of the box. Having laid this row, the blooms close together, a 

 similar roll is made and laid across their stalks, to take the second 

 row, and so on till the box is half filled, when the process is repeated, 

 beginning at the other end of the box. The stalks cross each other 

 in the centre, which allows of the lot being fastened into position 

 by a cross stick which fits tightly across the box and is pressed 

 down upon the stalks. Short of being turned upside down, this 

 removes all danger of their being bruised or damaged, for the 

 stick holds them in place with a tight grip, and it must indeed 

 be arrant carelessness or very rough handling that can work them 

 harm. 



Second grade blooms may be similarly packed, a larger number 

 going to each box, but several growers bunch these much the same 

 as chrysanthemums are bunched, a dozen in a bunch placed flat, 



