640 PACKING AND TRANSPORTING SEEDS 



results of seventy to eighty per cent. Seeds which are surrounded 

 by a mucilaginous substance should have the latter washed off, 

 then be rapidly dried in the sun, after which they should be 

 packed with a dry preservative material as described above, and 

 despatched without delay. To this class of seed belong Castilloa, 

 species of Garcinia, Nephelium, etc. The writer has found in the 

 case of such as these that if the seeds, while moist and after being 

 washed, are mixed with dry charcoal powder, the latter upon 

 drying forms an effective preservative coating around them. 

 DR. VAN HALL, late Director of Agriculture for the Dutch West 

 Indies, states that he had success in sending Cacao pods in 

 paraffin wax to Java, a voyage of over six weeks, and describes his 

 method thus : "The pods were first thoroughly washed with a 

 tooth-brush and soapy water, then placed in 70% alcohol for a 

 minute, and afterwards in a 5 % solution of corrosive sublimate for 

 a few minutes, so as to kill the germs on the surface. A piece of 

 string being then attached to the stalk end of the pocl, the latter 

 was dipped in the liquid paraffin (70%)\ it was taken out imme- 

 diately and hung carefully by the string so as not to break the 

 thin coating of the wax. When cold, each pod was again 

 dipped in the paraffin, making the coating more secure. The 

 fruits were then packed in fine sawdust and despatched." 



Cacao seeds, when shelled, rapidly lose their germinating 

 power, but for journeys not exceeding a fortnight pods may be 

 transported in open crates ; the fruits being placed vertically in 

 layers of a dozen each, and separated and held in position by thin 

 strips of wood or bamboo, a convenient-sized crate would hold 

 four dozen pods. 



Seeds of a very perishable nature should be packed only in 

 small quantities, and in such tin boxes as do not effectually prevent 

 the escape of moisture. If transmitted by post, stout canvas 

 should be used as an outside covering, or if sent as steamer- 

 freight they should be placed in wooden cases. Coir-dust when 

 leached and intermixed with a proportion of powdered charcoal 

 forms an excellent packing material for many short-lived seeds, 

 such as those of Para rubber. Burnt rice and saw-dust are also 

 used with good results. As a rule, any such packing material 

 should have only the slightest trace of moisture left in it. On 

 the other hand, seeds of certain water-plants, as Victoria regia, are 

 best transported in small tubes or vials filled with water ; these 

 being made water-tight with wax may easily be packed with straw 



