THE CONVEYANCE OF PLANTS 
depth of winter. Care should, therefore, he taken 
that all tropical plants should he dispatched, so as 
to arrive in this country in mild weather. 
With respect to the conveyance of seeds, all 
those which, from their oily nature, peculiarity 
of constitution, or any other cause, do not long 
retain their vegetative powers, are hest sown in 
the mould, either between the other plants, or in 
cases by themselves. Very great numbers of rare 
and beautiful plants have been introduced in this 
way.* As to other seeds, the plan which is now 
found to be most successful having been pub- 
lished more than eighty years ago by the cele- 
brated John Ellis, I cannot do better than detail 
it in the words of the author ; and I am induced 
to do so for two reasons, — to render my subject 
more complete, and to do justice to the memory 
of a great man, whose clear account has been so 
strangely overlooked by modern writers. 
“ Our seedsmen are much distressed for a proper 
method to keep their seeds sound and in a state of 
vegetation through a long voyage An in- 
stance has come to my knowledge which illus- 
trates the different methods of packing and stowing 
seeds for a long voyage, and it may be of use to 
* Many years ago, Mr. Anderson, of the Botanic Garden, Chelsea, 
received a case full of young clove and nutmeg plants, the seeds of 
which had been sown on the departure of the case from Trinidad. 
