I02 CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



the largest blooms, and also those having the 

 longest stems, that It is desired to have staged, 

 for the ends of the boxes. As fast as the 

 paper is tied about the blooms, place them 

 in the box, allowing the neck of the flower to 

 rest on the roll of excelsior, and be sure that 

 the latter is sufficiently large to prevent the 

 blooms from touching the bottom of the box. 

 Place as many blooms side by side as will fill 

 the width of the box, then cut off two pieces, 

 about six inches long, of the strips of wood 

 that have been provided for cleats, and nail 

 them perpendicularly, one to each side of the 

 box, inside, near the bottom, and from twenty 

 to twenty-four inches from the end. Now 

 take a thin strip of wood — a lath that 

 will just fit across the box will do — and, 

 pressing it firmly down on the stems, nail it 

 to the two cleats that have been nailed to the 

 sides of the box. This is to prevent the 

 blooms and stems from shifting in the box. 

 If carefully done, two or even three rows of 

 blooms may be placed in the box before the 

 cross strips are nailed in, making less work 

 and also not interfering with packing the 

 second and third rows of blooms. After the 

 first row is properly placed, put in another 



