STORAGE OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND FLORISTS' STOCKS 53 



various lengths or "strings." The commercial popularity of A. 

 sprengeri has declined so much that it is produced and used chiefly by 

 small retail growers. 



Drooping leucothoe (Leucothoe catesbaei), huckleberry, and moun- 

 tain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia) sprays may be held in good condition at 

 32° to 40° F. for 3 to 6 weeks. They are usually tied in bunches and 

 kept standing in water. 



Galax (Galax aphylla), groundpine (Lycopodium) , dagger ferns, 

 common woodferns, and various other species including Vryopteris 

 intermedia, packed in crates, may be held at 32° to 45° F., depending 

 on the length of time it is desired to keep them. At 32° they may be 

 expected to keep 1 to 4 months, whereas at 45° they may be kept for 

 but 2 to 3 weeks in good condition. They are not put in water, but if 

 stored loose they are kept moist by occasional sprinklings. If they are 

 held in wooden cases or packed in such a way as to prevent excessive 

 drying out by direct air currents, no sprinkling is necessary. Galax 

 is usually tied in bunches of 25 ; the ferns are tied in lots of 50 ; but 

 both are customarily sold by the hundred. Those who make a busi- 

 ness of gathering the greens in this group sometimes store them in 

 coldframes, covering them with about 6 inches of some material such 

 as sphagnum moss or leaves, and shading or using sash as the weather 

 demands. Handled in this way, shipments can be made at any time. 

 Others who might be termed "brokers" have many employees gather- 

 ing galax and ferns and store their entire holdings in cold-storage 

 warehouses ; this is the method commonly employed for storage, and 

 it usually gives satisfaction. 



Holly (ilex opaca) sprays or wreaths can usually be held satisfac- 

 torily for approximately 1 month at a temperature of 32° F. and a 

 relative humidity of about 80 percent. These should be left in the 

 packing cases .to prevent the circulation of air immediately around 

 them (108). 



A plastic coating has been used on such greens as fern asparagus, 

 dagger fern, and cut branches of several evergreen trees (85, 87). 



Rhizomes, Tubers, and Corms 



Lily-of-the-valley pips or crowns may be held in cold-storage ware- 

 houses at a temperature range of 25° to 28° F. (104) up to 17 months, 

 although after about 12 months increasing deterioration in quality 

 becomes noticeable. The pips are tied in bundles of 25 with string or 

 willow ties and are packed with sphagnum moss in wooden cases of 

 various sizes containing 250 to 2,500 pips. 



Taro (Colocasia esculenta), spotted caladium (G. neoguineensis) , 

 and tuber begonias (Begonia tuberhybrida) may be held at 45° F. 

 and a relative humidity of 75 to 80 percent for 4 to 6 months. They 

 should be packed in dry sawdust, sand, or peat. 



Canna (G anna indica) , dahlia (Dahlia) (S), and peony (Paeonia) 

 may be stored at 40° to 45° F. over a period of 6 to 7 months with a 

 relative humidity of 70 to 80 percent. They are usually packed in 

 dry soil, sand, sawdust, or peat moss. 



Gladiolus (mostly hybrids) may be stored at 40° to 50° F. with a 

 relative humidity of 70 to 75 percent for 7 to 8 months. A tempera- 

 ture of 40° will hold these corms dormant during the normal storage 

 season, whereas at 50° sprouting will occur after 4 to 6 months' stor- 



