_ ef prosecuting these interesting inquiries. 
Occupied, as I have unceasingly been for 
the last twenty years, with the harassing 
details of general medical practice, and 
living constantly in town, I find it impossi- 
ble to do all that I wish, nor could I have 
gone on thus far, but for the unbounded 
liberality of Messrs. Loddiges, who from 
their ample stores, have most kindly fur- 
nished me with every plant I desired for 
the purposes of experiment. 
` I come now to the most important ap- 
plication of the above facts: that of the 
conveyance of plants upon long voyages. 
Reflecting upon the causes of the failure 
attending such conveyance, arising chiefly 
from deficiency or redundancy of water, 
from the spray of the sea, or from the want 
of light in protecting them from the spray, 
it was, of course, evident that my new me- 
thod offered a ready means of obviating all 
these difficulties, and in the beginning of 
June, 1833, I filled two cases with Ferns, 
Grasses, &c., and sent them to Sydney un- 
der the care of my zealous friend, Captain 
Mallard, copies of whose letters I have en- 
closed. 
The cases were refilled at Sydney, in 
the month of February, 1834, the ther- 
mometer then being between 90° and 100°. 
In their passage to England, they encoun- 
tered very varying temperatures. The 
thermometer fell to 20° in rounding Cape 
Horn, and the decks were covered a foot 
deep with snow. In crossing the line the 
thermometer rose to 120°, and fell to 40° 
on their arrival in the British channel, in 
the beginning of November, eight months 
after they were enclosed. These plants 
were not once watered during their voy- 
age, received no protection by day or by 
night, but were yet taken out at Loddiges’ 
in the most healthy and vigorous condition. 
The plants chiefly consisted of Ferns, among 
them Gleichenia microphylla never before 
introduced alive, and the Hymenophyllum 
Tunbridgense. Several plants of Callicoma 
Serrata had come up from seed during the 
. Voyage, and were in a very healthy state. 
-As this experiment was made chiefly with 
Ferns, I will briefly give you an account 
IMPROVED METHOD OF TRANSPORTING LIVING PLANTS. 
319 
of one other experiment, in which plants 
of a higher order of development were the 
subject of trial. Ibrahim Pacha being de- 
sirous to obtain useful and ornamental 
plants for his garden near Cairo, and at 
Damascus, commissioned his agents in this 
country to send them. I was requested by 
his agents to select them, and they were 
sent out in August, 1834, in the Nile 
Steamer, to Alexandria. They were about 
two months on their passage, and I have 
enclosed a copy of the letter from Mr. 
Traill, his gardener, giving an account of 
their condition when he received them; 
and have likewise sent you a list of the 
plants, which were contained in the Egyp- 
tian cases. I have, as yet, received no 
account of the Syrian plants. Various 
other trials have been made to other parts 
of the world, as Calcutta, Para, &c. &c 
and with the same success. 
I feel well assured that this method of 
importing plants would likewise be ex- 
tremely useful in the introduction of many 
of the lower but most interesting tribes of 
animals, which have never yet been seen 
alive in this country. 
In reply to an inquiry that was address- 
ed to Mr. Ward, as to the adviseability of 
a collector's taking glazed boxes to Brazil, 
Mr. Ward thus writes. “I should ima- 
gine that these may be easily procured at 
Rio, and various other places; but if glass 
cannot be obtained, or is very dear, then 
a number of small panes might be carried, 
for use, as occasion requires. 
* [t may be as well to state, once for all, 
that the success of my plan is in exact 
proportion to the admission of light to all 
parts of the growing plants, and to the due 
regulation of the humidity of the mould — 
wherein they grow. It is safer, in all in- 
stances, to give rather too little than too 
much water. If Ferns, for example, are 
the subject of experiment, they should be 
planted in the soil most congenial to them, 
well watered, but all the superfluous fluid 
allowed to drain off, before the case is fi- 
nally closed; while on the other hand, suc- 
culent plants should be set in dry sand. I 
need not, however, dilate upon this, any 
d 
