NEW, RARE, AND BEAUTIFUL ORCHIDS OF COSTA RICA. 3 
but for species of very distant or difficult places, 
I of course can apply lowest prices only for 
largest quantities of the same kind. It hap- 
pens, also, that, at one season, I may be, by 
some exceptional circumstance, unable to fur- 
) 
Ni 
nish certain sorts. In such cases I shall, at the 
time of shipping, refund the balance unless I 
am CE DIESE HY authorized by the purchaser to 
substitute. failing sorts by similar ones of ap- 
proximately the same value. 
(V 
Packing and Shipping. 
In former years I tried all the different ways 
of packing; and my very long experience led 
me to decide that the essential point of safety 
lies less in the method of packing, but rather 
more in the collecting at the right time, in the 
careful preparing of the plants previous to the 
packing, and, above all, on the place which the 
plants get on board steamer. This last very 
important item is under my control only with 
the steamers of the Atlas Co. and of the Socie- 
dad Bananera de Matina, whose steamers start 
weekly from Port Limon direct to New York. 
Unless I am otherwise instructed I invariably 
pack in the following manner, which I know to 
be both the safest and most economical one: 
Layers of dry shavings and plants alternating, 
held down at convenient distances with stakes 
of bamboo nailed to the sides of the case. Tak- 
ing cases of pine or other porous lumber dis- 
penses with making holes in the case—a prac- 
tice much in use in former times, but which 
has several serious inconveniences. 
This is such a simple and cheap way of pack- 
ing that purchasers perhaps sometimes believe 
that I do it with a view of saving time and ma- 
terial. * However, I do it simply because I know 
it to be the best method; and if any of my cus- 
tomers desire me to pack in a different way, I 
Shall cheerfully do so, without charging extra, 
unless I am expected to use some costly mate- 
rial, which I then would charge at its cost. 
For rapid shipping to all ports of the world, 
our Atlantic harbor, Port Limon, presents to- 
day a maritime activity which is truly surpris- 
ing, considering that Costa Rica contains 
scarcely 250,000 inhabitants! Rapid mail steam- 
ers leave weekly, twice for New York and once 
for New Orleans; monthly, twice for South- 
ampton and once a Steamer each for Germany, 
France, Spain, and Italy. Port Limon being in 
communication by rail with the capital, San 
José, plants can be packed the day previous 
to shipping, and never run the risk of lying 
for days in the hot port. 
It is a known fact that the main risk of the 
journey consists in the transit through the trop- 
ical zone, the plants being practically safe as 
soon as they reach the temperate altitudes. 
My American friends have the benefit of that 
circumstance, especially as the steamers going 
from Limon to New York do not stop anywhere. 
For some time I made some shipments to Kurope 
via New York with good success, the consign- 
ments arriving more than a week earlier than 
they could by the direct line. European ship- 
ments, however, I will always forward by the 
respective direct English, German, French, 
Spanish, or Italian steamer, unless the buyer 
expressly wishes the plants to be sent via New 
York. 
