176 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



For Plants. 



PACKING OF PLANTS AND 

 FLOWERS. 



There are few lovers of flowers and plants who 

 do not require at times to send some of them 

 by post or rail, and at such times the best way 

 of packing is often overlooked. It is so dis- 

 appointing to receive beautiful blossoms bat- 

 tered and destroyed in the post, or plants sickly 

 through bad packing, that brief notes upon 

 such work maybe useful. After a trial of many 

 methods the following have been adopted by 

 the best packers : — 



Large and heavy things re- 

 quire special care ; the best 

 way of packing such small plants as are usually 

 sent by post is to fit them closely into long, 

 narrow boxes of light wood. No packing 

 material is required, save a little damp moss 

 wrapped around each ball of roots and secured 

 by a few twists of fine thread. A kind of shallow 

 trough is then made at each end of the box to 

 contain these root-masses. This is done by fit- 

 ting a stout wooden stay as thick as the finger 

 and cut to measure from side to side, held firmly 

 in place by tacks passing through from theout- 

 sideof thebox. A layer of plants is then laid in, 

 their roots wedged firmly together (with more 

 moss if need be) in this shallow trough; they 

 are then secured by a second stay fitted close 

 and nailed like the first, which holds the root- 

 mass firmly in place and prevents displacement 

 even under rough usage. Successive tiers may 

 be arranged until both ends are full, the stems 

 and foliage, free from the "collar," mingling 

 unfettered in the centre of the box, which be- 

 comes a sheltered air-chamber in which the 

 plants travel without any of the crushing or 

 heating inseparable from close packing, how- 

 ever carefully done. At the end of a week, if 

 need be, such plants will lift out as fresh as 

 when packed, provided, of course, that they 

 receive sufficient water at the outset. It is 

 well to distribute the weight evenly between 

 the two ends, a well-balanced box being bet- 

 ter to handle than when the weight is at one 

 side only. 



Though the same method 

 can be used for large and 

 clustered flowers, such as Rhododendrons, 

 Chrysanthemums, and other heavy things, 

 which are sure to bruise and be crushed out of 



For Flowers. 



shape if closely thrust together, the methods 

 used for flowers by the southern growers for 

 export are somewhat different. For long jour- 

 neys in cold weather wooden boxes are again 

 used, but of a different shape, being broad and 

 shallow rather than long and narrow. Gene- 

 rally, however, the familiar cane baskets are 

 employed, ensuring lightness and flexibility, 

 with a large capacity, the air being excluded 

 by neat folds of paper, stout without, and light 

 and silky for the inner layer. The flowers should 

 be cut before fully open and put in water for 

 several hours previously. In most cases no pack- 

 ing material is needed other than the leaves 

 cut with the flowers and necessary for effect. 

 Blossoms with delicate petals, such as Roses, 

 Tuberoses, Lilies, and Orchids, are, however, 

 best protected by twists of soft paper envelop- 

 ing each flower. The flowers are then laid in 

 the box or basket in layers, the heaviest at the 

 bottom and around the sides, but as far as pos- 

 sible closely fitted together and each layer sepa- 

 rated by a sheet of soft paper. The basket is 

 heaped ratherfull to ensure that the final pres- 

 sure of fastening down will secure the whole 

 as one compact mass, excluding air and pre- 

 venting all movement, even when roughly 

 shaken, as they are certain to be at busy rail- 

 way centres. In warm weather a layer of damp 

 moss or thick leaves may be used to still further 

 preserve moisture and exclude air, but in the 

 main it is not necessary. 



There is an art in unpacking as well as in 

 packing flowers. They should be taken out 

 singly, lightly shaken into their natural form, 

 their stems placed in warm water, and the 

 whole sprinkled lightly overhead and placed 

 under a bell-glass (or even a damp cloth) for 

 some hours in a moist atmosphere and a sub- 

 dued light. So handled they will revive wonder- 

 fully even after days of travel, and last fresh far 

 longer than when this time of recovery is cut 

 short. Some flowers travel better than others, 

 while fragile blossoms such as are easily shaken 

 to pieces or fade quickly at the best of times 

 are certain to fail; still, by giving due care 

 it is wonderful how many flowers travel well 

 and recover fully after a long journey. One 

 of the most used and worst of packing ma- 

 terials is cotton wool ; though light and soft, 

 this dries up the flowers and should never be 

 used. 



