534 



The Weekly Rorists^ Review* 



January 26, 1906. 



house should put the flowers in water as 

 soon as received. 



Stock for Shipment. 



Now, for short distances, where the 

 flowers can be shipped on trains that 

 will arrive early enough for the flowers 

 to be delivered that same day, the stock 

 sent is usually that cut the night before; 

 but for flowers that will have to re- 

 main packed in the boxes over night, 

 and for all long distance shipments, the 

 stock taken is always cut in the morning 

 and, after standing in water from three 

 to six hours, is sent in to the market and 

 shipped away the same day. The old 

 idea that a carnation keeps best if al- 

 lowed to stand in water twelve to twenty- 

 four hours before sending into market 

 has been disproved by actual experience, 

 and of the carnation blooms received by 

 the wholesale growers at least two-thirds 

 the stock is cut in the morning and 

 shipped in to their wholesale store in th« 

 early afternoon to send away the sailae 

 day. These flowers will arrive in better 

 shape and last longer every time than if 

 cut the day before. 



After caniations have been kept eigh- 

 teen or twenty hours in water they seem 



four to eight thicknesses of newspapers, 

 depending on the weather. .Then a sin- 

 gle thickness of soft wax paper all 

 around. CoQimence and put in a row of 

 carnations, usually about six flowers to 

 a row, and between each row of heads 

 place a strip . of wax paper about three 

 inches wide and as long as the box is 

 wide. About four rows of flowers in 

 each end will constitute a layer, and be- 

 tween each layer place a sheet of wax 

 paper the width of the box and long 

 enough to cover all the heads in that 

 layer. Keep on until the box is com- 

 pleted. 



It will be found that with the extra 

 long stems now being grown that four 

 or five rows in each end of the box will 

 be all that can be put in a layer, as by 

 that time the stems will be within six 

 inches of the opposite row of flower 

 heads. The number of layers of flowers 

 should not go over four or six, which 

 will allow of from 200 to 300 carnations 

 in one box. In the center of the box, 

 where the stems meet, there should be 

 placed at least eight or ten thicknesses of 

 well saturated newsnapers. These news- 

 papers should be kept in a pail of water 

 so that they will have absorbed all the 



Voriegoted Mrs. Lowson. ^ 



(Bouffht by F. B. Pleroou Co., from Rockland Oreenbouses.) 



to get kind of soggy and do not ship 

 well. 



Packing the Boxes. 



The boxes used for shipping carna- 

 tions are made of thin wood, half-inch 

 ends and quarter-inch tops, bottoms and 

 sides, with two half-inch cleats to fas- 

 ten the stems down and hold the ice se- 

 curely. These boxes are usually twelve 

 inches wide and four to eight inches 

 deep, and thirty-six to forty-six inches 

 long. The boxes may appear too long 

 at first, but they are better too long 

 than too short. Line the boxes first with 



water they possibly can before being 

 placed on the stems. After putting this 

 wet paper on the stems, place the two 

 cleats on and fasten them down securely 

 with nails. Be careful in placing the 

 cleats to put them only on the double 

 rows of stems and not beyond, and also 

 see there is plentv of wet newspapers 

 under them, so there will be no danger 

 of breaking the stems by pushing the 

 cleats too far down. 



The Question of Ice. 

 The subject of icing a box is a de- 

 batable point, but for long distance ship- 



ments our experience is th^t a small 

 piece of ice well wrapped 'with news- 

 papers helps to' preserve the flowers f ronk 

 heat and also keep the newspapers over 

 the stems moist. For varieties that have- 

 brittle stems, like Lawson, care must be- 

 taken not to fasten the cleats down too 

 tight, or too near the neck of the flower, 

 or the stems will be broken in handling 

 the package. It is also well to put a 

 few sheets of tissue paper well crumpled 

 up between the cleats and the flower 

 heads. This will absorb any damp, cold 

 air from the ice and will also serve a» 

 a cushion to protect the flowetrs from 

 shaking up and down in the box by rouglv 

 handling. 



The Points to Improve. ' 



In order to dispose lof our product to- 

 advantage, it is absolutely necessary to 

 continue to improve our methods of 

 handling carnations intended for ship- 

 ment. They must be grown stronger,. 

 more air given, and great care taken in 

 feeding. The effect of the warm spring 

 rains must be overcome in some way, as 

 during such periods it is almost im~ 

 posible to ship carnations any distance 

 and not have them arrive fast asleep. 



All the little details of cutting, plac* 

 ing in water and shipping, should be at- 

 tended to with the greatest fidelity and^ 

 as we improve our methods of handling 

 and our varieties of stock, so shall we- 

 increase our " volume of business. The 

 advisability of devoting a certain amount 

 of glass to growing plants for spring and 

 early summer blooming is a point that 

 should be considered. There are some- 

 varieties that are at their best during 

 these periods, and there is no doubt that 

 carnations always ship best when in full 

 crop. 



If the creators of new varieties would 

 give more attention to the keeping and 

 shipping qualities of their new flowers in- 

 stead of trying to increase the size sa 

 much they would be working along lines 

 that are susceptible of considerable im- 

 provement. No matter how large a 

 flower, or how fragrant or brilliantly col- 

 ored it is, if it will not keep well and 

 ship well it cannot be grown extensively. 

 The immense number of railroads center- 

 ing here and reaching out in every direc- 

 tion, with frequent trains and quick 

 express service, gives us a field to be 

 supplied that reaches as far east as 

 New York State, Pennsylvania, and 

 south to Florida, New Orleans, Galvestou 

 and various Texas points, while west we 

 can reach all Colorado towns and some 

 points in Montana, and then on north to 

 Winnipeg. This vast scope of country 

 makes Chicago the central flower market 

 of the United States and has built up' 

 the immense greenhouse business of this 

 vicinity. 



RADIATION AND HORSE-POWER. 



Will you kindly tell us how to estimate 

 the number of feet li4.-inch pipe to each 

 square foot of glass surface to maintain 

 a certain temperature inside, with given' 

 outside temperature? How many feet of 

 radiation can a horizontal tubular boiler 

 rated at fifty horse-power carry without 

 being overloaded? A- L. W. 



I know of no tables which will give 

 the information in the form desired. Each 

 foot of lV4-inch pipe represents .434 

 square feet radiating surface. The 

 amount of work which this amount of 

 radiating surface will do depends upon 

 the kind of heat used, whether steam or 



