78 
THE FLORIST. 
PLANT-PROTECTING CONTRIVANCES. 
This is a neighbourhood of market-gardens, and famous for straw¬ 
berries ; and it often surprises strangers to hear at what a small cost 
the pottle-baskets are made in which they are accustomed to buy this 
fruit in London and its vicinity. Three shillings, and three and six¬ 
pence per gross of twelve dozen, is about the average sum our poor 
women receive from the market-gardeners ; and out of this they have 
to purchase the laths. These laths are rent out of wood imported 
from the Baltic. They are similar 
to those used by plasterers, only 
broader and thicker. These the 
basket - makers soak in water, to 
make them split the more easily 
into what may be termed wooden 
ribbons, which are interwoven up¬ 
on a block, with stouter upright 
pieces of a similar character. Sit¬ 
ting on low stools, with a tub of 
water containing their materials 
before them, the women and child¬ 
ren of our poor may be found in 
their cottages, only too thankful 
to be fully employed in this manu¬ 
facture. It occurred to me, when 
I first thought of sending out my 
own seedlings, that these straw¬ 
berry baskets, with a little modification, might be made very serviceable 
as a-protection for the plants w r hen packed for transmission, whether by 
land or sea. For this purpose they have answered admirably. Messrs. 
Hovey, the well-known nurserymen at Boston, U.S., in writing to 
say how much pleased they were with this mode of packing, said, 
that “ the plan ought to have originated with a Yankee.’’ One of 
these baskets was figured in the 
Chronicle; but it may be repeated 
in the Florist without disadvan¬ 
tage, and perhaps aid the object I 
have in view, which is to inform 
nurserymen, that these baskets, 
fitted to hold a 4-inch pot, may 
be had at four shillings per hun¬ 
dred ; that they pack closely in 
skeleton-cases ; and that on writ¬ 
ing to Mrs. Allen, Isleworth, she 
will feel a pleasure in making 
any quantity that may be re¬ 
quired. 
Subjoined is a woodcut of ano¬ 
ther description, used for cover- 
