To attain this end, either living plants must be sent, or their seeds. Both of these ways are attended with difficulties, according to the nature of the plants, and the length of the voyage they have to endure.
We shall only treat the parcels sent from countries out of Europe that must endure a voyage of from one to four or five months, because packages which are on the road but 15 or 20 days, only require those ways of putting up employed in all the nurseries of Europe.
In the transportation of living plants, distinction should be made of the ligneous plants, young trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, which are neither pulpy plants, tubercles or roots, from that of these last vegetables.
The transportation of the roots, underground bulbs and tubercles, such as those of the lily tribe, irides, dioscarea, land archides, aroidees, gesneria, of many of the Oxalis, Trospoculum, etc., is easily effected by packing these parts carefully in dry moss, or very dry sand, with wich the box should be filled up; the parasitic orchides or epyphites, with green bulbs, can be sent in wooden boxes, pierced with little holes, and kept dry; all the old leaves should be taken off, as, in their decay, they cause dampness, and the roots wrapped in dry moss or cloth. The same means may be used for the pulpy plants, such as the cactus: any dry flexible substance, not subject to dampnes, as hairwool etc. may be used to pack them. These pulpy plants, if large, should be separated from the others, so that they may not be tainted by their decay.
They should be packed with great care, because their tissue, more watery than that of the tubercles and roots, may be crushed under their weight, often considerable.
For the transportation of living plants, neither pulpy or tuberculous, it is necessary to place them in glazed boxes, of a peculiar construction, first invented and used in England by M. N. Ward.
These boxes vary in form and size but not to take up too much room on the decks of ships, where they should always remain; they should not exceed the following dimensions:
9 to 11 decimetres long, 5 wide, 7 to 40 high.
The bottom should not touch the deck, but must be raised some centimetres by the feet on the four corners, so that sea water may not damp the box.