16 



The Florists^ Review 



Jdlt 11, 1012. 



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THE SHIPPING 



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DEPARTMENT 



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PACKING PLANTS FOR SHIPMENT. 



The Size of the Case. 



There should not be much need to 

 emphasize the importance of careful 

 packing of plants of all kinds for either 

 long or short distance shipments, or to 

 point out the folly of growing good 

 stock and having it reach the customers 

 in bad condition. 



One of the worst and most frequent 

 mistakes in packing large quantities of 

 young roses, chrysanthemums and other 

 stock is the use of too large cases. These 

 are heavy when filled, and difficult to 

 handle by the expressmen, from whom 

 they come in for rough treatment all 

 along the line, with the result that they 

 arrive at their destination in pretty bad 

 shape. While doubtless there are times 

 when larger cases have gone through 

 safely, I prefer to use those that will 

 hold about 250 or, at the most, 300 

 3-inch plants. These are not unduly 

 heavy, yet are easier to handle at the 

 shipping point than a number of small 

 cases. 



Methods of Packing. 

 ^. 



Eegarding methods of packing, every- 

 one does a little differently from every- 

 one else, but one of the cardinal points 

 to be kept in mind is, to pack without 

 injury to the plants from bruising the 

 foliage, yet so tightly that they cannot 

 move one way or another, no matter 

 how mtich the case is shaken. Small 

 parcels; to be sent short distances, are, 

 of course, less difficult to pack than 

 large ones that are going farther. Se- 

 lect a strong box and line it with eight 

 or ten thicknesses of newspaper, or with 

 wrapping paper to the same bulk, leav- 

 ing the ends standing out enough to 

 cover the top well when the packing is 

 finished. 



If the subjects to be packed are roses 

 or carnations, say from 2-inch pots, 

 these Should be in a sufficiently moist 

 state to be pliable. If too dry, they can- 

 not be closely packed and hence they 

 occupy too much room and dry out still 

 worse on the journey. If too wet, they 

 are difficult to keep in place and they 

 soften the wrapping paper, so it is im- 

 possible to distinguish the individual 

 plants at their journey's end. 



Packing Small Plants. 



After turning the plants out of their 

 pots, lose no time in getting them 

 wrapped, using papers cut to size, so 

 that they inclose the ball and come well 

 up on the foliage. Small carnations 

 and chrysanthemums, begonias, coleus 

 and similar stock will be entirely 

 wrapped, but the foliage on taller stock, 

 such as young roses, asparagus and 

 vines, will show more or less, according 

 to their height above the paper. In 

 wrapping, lay the cut pdpers flat in a 

 pile; place the plant with the ball two 

 or three inches from the end; then give 

 a couple of turns, fold the loose bottom 



end in and continue to roll until the 

 paper is used up. 



The wrapped plants should be laid 

 in closely on the bottom of the prepared 

 cases, the first line with the bottom of 

 the balls butting against the end of the 

 box, the next line of balls on the shoul- 

 ders of these, and so on until the bottom 

 is covered. Then come back the other 

 way, with the heads facing just oppo- 

 site, and continue until the box is full. 

 It should be so full that considerable 

 force must be used to press the plants 

 into position and bring all level to re- 

 ceive the lid. This consolidates the 

 whole thing and prevents the soil from 

 drying out on the journey. 



Packing Larger Plants. 



Larger parcels, with plants from 

 3-inch or larger pots, are usually packed 

 with the plants standing erect, and this 



[jaVKkY now and then a well- 

 »9 pleased reader speaks the word 

 which is the means of bringing a 

 new advertiser to 



*VIC0^ 



Such friendly assistance is thoroughly 

 appreciated. 



Give us the name of anyone from 

 whom you are buying, not an adver- 

 tiser. Wc especially wish to interest 

 those selling articles of florist's use 

 not at present advertised. 



FLORISTS' PUBLISHING CO. 

 530^ Cazton BIdg. Chicago 



is a much better way for long distance 

 shipping. The wrapping is the same as 

 for smaller stock, except that larger 

 papers are needed, and the cases should 

 be lined with paper as already de- 

 scribed. To facilitate packing, the ship- 

 ping case may be turned up on end on 

 the packing shed bench, as it is easier 

 to lay the plants than to stand them 

 upright and hold one line while the 

 other is placed. 



With plants of medium height, a 

 double row can be placed, the upper one 

 standing on the balls or shoulders of 

 the lower. When about six layers have 

 been put in, nail a cleat firmly across 

 to hold these, and then proceed in the 

 same way until the box is full. In this 

 class of packing it is not usually possi- 

 ble to nail down the lid, owing to the 

 length of the plants, these standing 

 above the edge of the case. But the 



express companies will not take the par- 

 cels unless they are covered, so they 

 have to be roofed . over with a slat or 

 two and covered with burlap. 



A Partitioned Packing Case. 



Where large numbers of small plants 

 have to be shipped and only large cases 

 are to be had, these should be roughly 

 partitioned off and the plants laid flat 

 at each end of the smaller boxes or di- 

 visions made by the partitions. Cleats 

 should be nailed across through the 

 sides of the cases at every foot or so in 

 height, and thus the plants cannot pos- 

 sibly move, even if the shipping cases 

 are turned upside down. Owing to the 

 heads being free, there is no fear of 

 heating and damage of the foliage. 



A good deal of unnecessary corre- 

 spondence and loss are entailed by cus- 

 tomers failing to give instructions as to 

 how, when and by what route they want 

 their plants shipped. It takes only a 

 few minutes to give the name of the 

 station, express company and railroad, 

 and in many cases the post town 

 named in a firm's address is not the 

 nearest railroad station to the green- 

 houses or store where the plants are 

 needed. A shipper 500 or 1,000 miles 

 away can know nothing of this; yet too 

 often he is blamed if things go awry. 



ASBUEY PAEK, N. J. 



The third annual summer show of the 

 Elberon Horticultural Society was held 

 at the Beach auditorium July 3 to 6 

 and proved an unqualified success. An 

 extremely liberal prize list had been 

 prepared, the total value of the pre- 

 miums approximating $2,000. 



A special gold medal was awarded to 

 W. Atlee Burpee & Co., for sweet peas. 

 Certificates of merH were awarded a 

 number of unnamed seedlings as well 

 as the four varieties Burpee's Mauve, 

 Decorator, Orchid and St. Francis. 



Lager & Hurrell, Summit, had an ex- 

 tremely large and handsome display of 

 orchids and received a special certifi- 

 cate. 



William Sim, Cliftondale, Mass., re- 

 ceived first prize for display of sweet 

 peas to occupy 100 square feet of table 

 space. 



William Duckham, of Madison, was 

 awarded the Goodsell cup, valued at 

 $100, for collection of foliage plants. 



The National Sweet Pea Society's 

 silver medal went to A. Patterson, gar- 

 dener for Miss Cockroft, Saugatuck, 

 Conn. He also won the bronze medal 

 for culture. 



The silver medal of the American 

 Gladiolus Society went to William 

 Duckham, with the bronze medal to 

 Charles De Wilde, West End, N. J. 



Among the many other private gar- 

 deners exhibiting extensively and 

 among the prize winners were: A. A. 

 MacDonald, gardener for J. Brodie 

 Duke, Somerville, N. J.; C. D. Duncan, 

 gardener for Mrs. Washington Wilson, 

 Elberon; Charles R. Russell, gardener 

 for R. R. Guggenheim, Elberon; A. 

 Bauer, gardener for H. D. Goldman, 

 Deal, N. J.; George Mason, gardener 

 for Frederick Frelinghuysen; Thomas 

 Hamilton, gardener for C. A. Wimpf- 

 heimer Estate, Long Branch; Henry 

 Gaut, Glen Cove, N. Y.; James Ken- 

 nedy, gardener for Mme. Nordica; A.J. 

 Jenkins, Lenox, Mass.; Martin Qohn, 

 Bryn Mawr, Pa.; Samuel Bachelor, gar- 

 dener for C. B. Newbold, Jenkintown, 

 Pa.; Victor Anderson, West End, N. J.; 



