Cutting, Packing, Shipping 153 



remedy of plunging into hot water may be 

 resorted to. Use water as hot as the hand can 

 possibly bear, and put the stems into it as far 

 as they will go without touching the leaves. 

 Leave them about ten minutes and place them at 

 once into very cold water. The hot water 

 merely opens the pores of the stalks so that they 

 can immediately absorb the fresh cold water 

 given them afterward. A little stimulant in 

 this cold water helps a lot. I have sometimes 

 added a pinch of nitrate of soda with good 

 results and recently experimenting with strych- 

 nine, one grain to a half gallon of water, as recom- 

 mended for peonies and roses, I have found 

 that also to be successful in reviving dahlias. 



Blooms which have wilted and been revived 

 are not fit to be shipped. They do well enough 

 at home, and with careful tending will last many 

 days in water. They are like convalescent peo- 

 ple; after further hardships they will not survive. 



Use only strong, vigorous blooms for shipping. 

 Those which have not developed to their full 

 size will stand the journey better. The fuU- 

 petalled decoratives travel better than the open- 

 centred. The show and cactus types are the 

 most difficult to pack. 



All sorts of boxes are made for shipping 

 flowers, but those made of strong brown card- 



