Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT or AGRICULTURE. DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 323 . | Washington, D. C. September, 1924 HOW TO COLLECT, LABEL, AND PACK LIVING PLANT MATERIAL FOR LONG-DISTANCE SHIPMENT B. T. GALLOWAY Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry ‘ CONTENTS Page | Page ee Se 1 | Bulbs, rootstocks, roots, and rhizomes_ 8 Dangers to be avoided ___-________ 1 | Cuttings, scions, and buds of soft- Importance of proper records______ 2 wooded plants=< 2=" 2282 22 -s 9 Packing dry and dormant seeds____ Pl a OGted plants] =e ee ee 9 ‘Packing and shipping nuts_________ 3 | Sphagnum-moss method of growing Packing fruit-tree and related seeds_ A plants for shipment 22] -— es 10 “Tropical SE7 i hee eee ee eS eee 4 Special shipping directions_________ 10 Satrus-plant material ____________ 6 | How to address packages_______~__ at ' Cuttings and scions of dormant wood_ fen lastaword of caution=_ 11 Buds of hard-wooded plants _______ 8 | INTRODUCTIGN Seeds, plants, scions, grafts, and other plant material intended for propagating purposes may be shipped long distances if properly selected and packed. Long sea voyages thi rough the Tropics are particularly severe on plant material, so that great care must be exercised where such journeys are involved. _ The following suggestions and recommendations are based on Several years’ obser vation and experiments incident to the work of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction. Shipments of plant material come from all over the world, packed in many dif- ferent ways by many different people. Opportunities have ther efore been afforded for conducting numerous experiments, cooperating in ‘this work with agricultural “explorers and others in different parts of the world. DANGERS TO BE AVOIDED 2 . sah? The greatest danger involved in the shipment of living plant ma- ‘terial is that of introducing some new insect pest or plant disease. Alien enemies already introduced are causing millions of dollars Oss annually, and it behooves us to take every precaution against 100178°—24 1 D) Department Circular 525, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture bringing new ones to our shores, To guard against their entrance, the Department of Agriculture, through the Federal Horticultural Board, has developed an elaborate system of quarantine and inspee- tion. Everything in the way of plant material brought in by the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction from remote or little- known regions is rigidly inspected and held, if necessary, until it is certain that all potential dangers have been removed. It is highly important, therefore, in selecting material for the use of the depart- ment that it be clean. Clean plant material and clean seeds will go far in assuring safety during a long journey and will remove many of ~ the hazards incident to rigid inspection and the necessary treatments that must be given if the material is found to be infested with insects or affected with some serious disease. One of the functions of a plant | introducer, however, is to meet these difficulties and to overcome them, for we must continue to bring in new crop plants if our agriculture is to be maintained on a satisfactory permanent basis. IMPORTANCE OF PROPER RECORDS Labels or marks of identification are of very great importance in all shipments of plant material. Whenever practicable, each pack- age should be provided with two labels, one on the inside and one on the outside. The label should give (1) both the common and botani- cal names of the plant if possible, (2) place where collected, (3) date» of collection, and (4) name of collector. When the botanical name of a plant is not known, the common or local name often gives a clue — to its botanical name and proves useful in determining the best way to handle the material. A name often opens the way to other facts which may prove extremely helpful in handling the material and determining where to place it to the best advantage. The Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction has developed a thorough system of recording every plant introduction made by in- dividuals through the Government. It is highly important that these records be as complete as practicable. Collectors are there- fore urged to send in by mail as full a description of the plant, its uses, methods of culture, etc., as it is possible to secure. Photographs are always helpful and will enable the department to handle satis- factorily new plant immigrants. These descriptions are published, — and full credit is given to every introducer of a new plant. The Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction has already published | 72 inventories, covering something over 5,800 pages, containing descriptions of plant material sent in. PACKING DRY AND DORMANT SEEDS Dry and dormant seeds, such as soybeans, cowpeas, ordinary beans, © and peas; cereals, including wheat, oats, barley, rye, maize, and rice; also all dry vegetable seeds, like lettuce, cabbage, and melons of all kinds, are comparatively easy to handle, especially if packed in small lots. It is important that the seeds be fresh, clean, free from weed seed and trash, and thoroughly dry before packing. One of | the best methods of packing these seeds is to place them in strong cotton sacks. Suitable sacks in pint, quart, 2-quart and 4-quart_ sizes are furnished by the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Intro-_ | : Plant Material for Long-Distance Shipment 38 duction or may be made from strong cotton-cloth material. Place only one kind of seed in a sack, put one label containing the re- quired data on the inside of the sack, and fasten the sack “securely. If this small individual sack is to make a long sea journey, wrap it in two or three thicknesses of newspaper, tying with a string, then rewrap in oiled paper or heavy manila paper previously dipped in melted paraffin. These precautions are necessary to exclude moisture, which is very likely to destroy the viability of the seed on a long sea voyage. Put the duplicate label under ‘the string used in tying the oiled paper or paraffin paper. It is best to write the labels on good, smooth, strong, white paper, using a common lead pencil. Do not use ink or indelible pencil. Ink is hable to blur if moistened, and the same is true of indelible pencils. A small bag wrapped as suggested above may be considered the unit packet. Directions for as sembling these unit packets into larger packages (see Pls. I and IL) or forwarding them singly will be found un- der “Special shipping directions.’ * Where a number of the small sacks are to be assembled into a larger bundle, it is not necessary to wrap each sack individually in oiled or paraftined paper. It is desirable to put emphasis on ‘the wrapping in oiled or paraffined paper, for it is found that seeds passing through the Tropics quickly lose their germinating power if subjected to changes in humidity, due to the lack of a proper moisture-preventive covering. Seeds of beans, corn, wheat, rice, and related crops coming from warm countries are liable to be infested with weevils. To avoid this, it is advisable to give the seeds a 24-hour treatment with carbon bisul- phide prior to packing. Carbon bisulphide is common and cheap throughout the world and can be found in almost any drug store or apothecary shop. Put the little packages of seeds while still in the cotton sack in a tin pail having a good tight lid or in a tight box of any kind. A pail or box holding 6 or 8 quarts will answer for most lots of seed. Pour an ounce of carbon bisulphide on a piece of cotton batting and lay this on top of the seed. Fasten the hd and leave for 24 hours. The carbon bisulphide is destructive of insect life but is not injurious to the seed. PACKING AND SHIPPING NUTS Certain nuts, including hickory nuts, walnuts, filberts, peanuts, and pecans, maintain their viability for considerable periods and may, therefore, be handled and packed as described for dry seeds. Other nuts, like chestnuts and acorns, are more or less short lived and must be handled carefully. Nearly all acorns and chestnuts coming from the Orient are liable to be infested with the larvee of various species of beetles. The best method of forwarding such material is to pack it in tight boxes, either cracker tins or stout wooden boxes, using dry coarse charcoal and dry sifted sphagnum moss as packing material. (See Pl. III.) The moss and charcoal should be mixed in about equal quantities by bulk. If sphagnum moss is not avail- able, use charcoal alone or charcoal and ground coconut fiber. (PI. Ill.) The last material is commonly called “coir.” The charcoal should be coarse, that is, in pieces one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch in size. After making sure that the acorns or chestnuts are fresh and that they do not show weevil holes, a layer of the packing 4 Department Circular 525, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture material should be spread on the bottom of the box. Scatter the nuts evenly over the surface of the material, allowing an inch or. more around the edges for packing purposes. Then add another layer of packing material, shaking the box slightly to settle the seeds and packing material in place. Proceed in this way until the box ig © full, making sure that there is a good layer of packing material — on top. When the boxes are packed, tie firmly and wrap in~ paraflined paper, then strong wrapping paper, and finally cover with | cotton cloth, sewing the cloth on. Cotton bags are used for this pur- pose, doubling over the ends and sewing firmly. Label as directed for dry seeds. The need of sewing on the covers is emphasized, rather than depending on wrapping and tying with string. Packages that have been tied usually reach the department in bad shape. The | addressed label should be sewed on the package. PACKING FRUIT-TREE AND RELATED SEEDS Fruit-tree seeds, including pear, apple, cherry, peach, persimmon, and many kinds of hard palm seeds, are likely to dry out unless care- fully packed. Charcoal is one of the best materials for packing such | seeds. If the charcoal is dry and dusty, add a very little water or : steam it for half an hour over a bucket of boiling water. See that the charcoal is not too fine. It should be granular, not powdery. These seeds should be labeled as required for dry seeds, such as beans and peas. ‘They may be packed in boxes, either tin or wooden, always with sufficient charcoal to keep the seeds well separated. It is a safe procedure to add about twice as much charcoal by bulk as seed—that is, if packing 1 pint of seeds, at least 2 pints of char- coal should be used. The smaller seeds may be mixed thoroughly with charcoal before packing. Certain of these seeds, lke the peach, cherry, and plum, may be shipped dry in bags or boxes with- out charcoal or other packing. If desired, strong cloth bags may be used for such seeds. If the bags are small and they are going for- ward by sample or parcel post, they should be firmly tied, and after wrapping first in newspaper they should be wrapped in one or two thicknesses of good oiled paper. If the unit bags are quite small, they may be brought together and made into larger packages with the cotton covering sewed on, as described for other seeds. (See illustration of improper packing, PI. IL.) TROPICAL SEEDS Tropical seeds are among the most difficult seeds to ship long distances. This is particularly true of the lychee, longan, cacao, mangosteen, mango, and seeds of many palms. The avocado is not so difficult to ship. This seed, being large and almost woody, ships comparatively easily. One of the best methods of making certain the safe transportation of lychee and longan seeds is to ship the fruits containing the seeds. The fruits, if properly packed. will stand four or five weeks’ travel. They carry best in fine, dry, sifted sphagnum moss, sifted coconut fiber, or coir, to which has been added a little coarse charcoal. It is not necessary that any of this ma- terial be wet or even damp. There is enough moisture in the fruit to serve all practical purposes for successful transportation. Allow - Plant Material for Long-Distance Shipment 5 enough packing to keep each fruit and each layer of fruits well separ: rated. Fruits of this nature may be packed in small wooden or tin boxes. The wooden boxes, if sufficiently strong, will need no additional protection. Tin boxes, however, especially if the tin is thin, should be wrapped in several thicknesses of heavy newspaper, then in strong manila paper, and finally covered with a cotton bag sewed on. Cacao seeds are soft and ferment and mold very easily. To be certain of their viability they must be gathered when fully mature and packed immediately. Coarse charcoal j is the best packing mate- rial for them. Some of the best results in forwarding these seeds have been secured through sending the entire cacao ‘pod without breaking or mutilating it in any way. The pod contains numerous seeds, and as a rule there is sufficient moisture in it to bring the seed through in fairly good shape. The pods, often measuring 4 to 6 inches in length, should be packed in coarse charcoal, using either strong wooden or tin boxes as carriers. It is the practice of the growers of cacao to forward pods containing seeds after dipping the pods in paraffin. No advantage has been found in this treatment: in fact. paraffined pods seem more inclined to ferment than those not so treated. Plenty of charcoal should be used, in order to thoroughly surround the pod with the antiseptic material. Of all the seeds in this list, those of mangosteen have proved the most difficult to handle. These seeds are short lived, and for this reason it is difficult to transport them any great distance. The diffi- culty of transporting the seeds and the fact that most of the usual methods fail in attempts to propagate the plant no doubt account in jarge measure for its rarity and limited distribution. The mangosteen is one of the most delicious and highly prized tropical fruits. Many attempts have been made to establish it in some of our tropical re- gions, but with the exception of a few scattered trees there are no plantings of mangosteens on this continent. The following specific instructions are offered for the securing, handling, packing, and shipping of seed of this fruit, in the hope that with the directions closely followed sufficient hve plants may be secured to establish plantations of the trees in our tropical posses- sions. Gather and select fully matured and perfect fruits and have everything ready for packing the seeds as soon as they are cleaned and dried. The seeds will dry in a few minutes, and drying should be done very carefully and always in the shade. Be sure that the seeds are plump and sound. Many of the seeds while appearing good are liable to be aborted and will ferment and sour when packed. ‘Coir dust is the best packing material to use. This is nearly always available in the Tropics, where the mangosteen grows. Charcoal may be used, though it is not recommended unless coir dust is unavailable. The best receptacles for packing are small wooden or tin boxes such as are commonly used throughout most parts of the world for wafers and biscuits. These boxes usually measure 8 by 4 by 4 inches to 10 by 5 by 5 inches. The coir dust should be slightly moistened, and this is one of the difficult features of the procedure. Ordinarily steaming the coir dust for a few minutes or holding the receptacle containing the dust over boiling water for a short time will moisten 6 Department Circular 323, U. S. Dept. of Agricuiture it sufficiently for all practical purposes. It is best in all cases to moisten the dust several hours or several days before it is to be used. Freshly moistened dust is never so good as that which has stood for 94 to 48 hours. With fresh, clean seeds at hand the coir dust should be spread over the bottom of the box to a depth of half to three- fourths of an inch. Pr s, Behe Oe a ee = tts i ls ee eee yds poqis snp aro ‘peooreyo reynuears ‘ssour tinusvyds osrvog :4Yy3tt 04 4JorT SIVIYALVIAL ONIMOVd ‘squerd pum poos Suryoud ur posn s[vrs0ye yy 24 100178° Cir. 323, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture PLATE IV SCIONS OF HARD-WOODED PLANTS From left to right: Chestnut, cherry, plum, rose, pear, and apple scions in good condition for packing by the wet-burlap method. (About two-thirds natural size) Cir. 323, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture PLATE V we = 2 a | : z i ¥ = = ‘ U HCL PRO SE Se BuD STICKS OF SOFT-WOODED PLANTS From left to right: Avocado, mango, orange, and lychee bud sticks ready for packing. two-thirds natural size) (About PLATE VI Cir. 323, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Sulpieul 10; Apeor pojorduroo ose yond ‘oqny ury ul ‘uo party deping Aap ‘arede soded poxem ur ‘poppe deyinq yo ‘1oded poxem ul poddeim suolds ‘suolos Jo oypung ysl 01 Joy = “saryord jo poyjour depinq-joM oy) UT pasn s[eisd ey ONIMOVd NI GAaSM SIVIYSLVIAI PLATE VII PACKING ‘‘BALLED’’ PLANTS A foreign parcel-post shipment, showing the method of packing after plants are “* balled in sphagnum moss Ota, oy Cir. 323, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture PLATE VIII A SIMPLE AND CONVENIENT SHIPPING CRATE Mango plants grown in boxes made of cypress shingles. This crate is excellent for shipping plants by express or freight IX PLATE Cir. 323. <= he partie Re A Sad IN PLATE VIII INTERIOR OF THE CRATE SHOWN tening plants in the fas ethod of iii to show the crate been removed ection has + JL ‘loth pro { c The chees PLATE X Cir. 323, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture ssOul Ul UMOAS sjyuRld 94 JO MI94SAs Joo JoTINdNs 94} BION ‘‘sooUNO F spunod fF ‘ssour ur sjuvyd Jo yYSsIOM ‘seouNo ZT spunod » {10s UI S}UBId JO JYSIOAA “SSOUI UI YYSIA oY} UO 9914) 94] PUB [IOS UI UMOIS 919M 4Jo] 94} TO sjuLld se1g) oY, “ssour UINUseYds UI puUv [IOs Ul UMOIT sjuR[d OprooAy OSNiddIHS YOA SLNV1Id DNIMOY*) HOS SSOIN) WONOVHdS GNV TOS AO NOSIYVdNOD NIELS | | Plant Material for Long-Distance Shipment 7 in sifted coconut dust (coir) or sphagnum moss, they carry very well. Small tin or wooden boxes should be used for this purpose. The coconut dust and moss must be dry. The mistake is nearly always made of wetting this material. This is unnecessary, as it will gather enough moisture in transit to save the seed. The only danger is that the moss or coconut dust when exposed to atmospheric conditions in the Tropics will be too wet on account of the absorption of moisture. As a rule, however, such material will dry out sufficiently in a hving room to answer all practical purposes. CUTTINGS AND SCIONS OF DORMANT WOOD Many hard-wooded plants, such as the apple, pear, plum, peach, cherry. persimmon, walnut, and other fruits, also many ornamentals, including the rose and other shrubs and trees, are propagated by means of scions and cuttings (see Pls. IV and V). Such mate- rial when properly selected and packed may be shipped long dis- tances without difficulty. In selecting material of this kind for. ship- ment care must be taken to see that it is free from scale insects, canker spots, or diseases of any kind. It is highly important, furthermore. that the wood shall be entirely dormant when packed. See to it that the wood is firm and plump and that it contains well- formed, good, strong buds. Experience has shown that cuttings and scions of dormant wood taken in the spr ing, even if not pushed at the time. are likely to start when placed in a warm, moist atmos- phere. Cuttings at this period are in a state of unbalanced equilib- rium and when packed and shipped long distances are liable to reach their destination with buds so badly. pushed that it is impos- sible to make them live. If practicable. therefore, dormant wood should be sent during the late fall and early winter rather than in the spring. A convenient length for scions of most of the plants above men- tioned is 10 to 12 inches (Pls. IV and V). The size will vary somewhat with the plant itself. Pear, peach, cherry, plum, and similar scion- wood in order to give good, strong buds should be about the size of a lead pencil. The accompanying illustrations show -such scions and will give an adequate idea of their size and shape. In cutting scions when the weather is cold or dry, they should be protected by a temporary wrapping of burlap or some similar material. Scions may be made up in bundles, the size of the bundles varying with the kind of material and the distance to be shipped. For many years the standard material for packing such scions has been sphagnum moss (PI. III). This has many excellent qualities, but for packing small lots of scions, cuttings, budwood, and perishable seeds, like chestnuts and acorns, it is very difficult to describe just how to wet the moss properly. A great many ship- ments, even when carefully packed under specific directions, arrive either too wet or too dry. The need of some simple method which could be easily described and followed without danger of overwetting or drying out has long been felt. Indications point to the discovery of such a_ method, which is called the wet- burlap method of pack- ing (see Pl. VI). Attention was first called to a form of this method by J. E. Mor- row, Superintendent of the Plant Introduction Garden at Chico. 8 Department Circular 323, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Calif. Mr. Morrow stated that he had learned of the method from the Washington Nursery Co., Toppenish, Wash. The Washington Nursery Co. was written to for information as to the origin of the | method, and a reply was received indicating that they had not used it. Several changes have been made in the method as suggested by Mr. Morrow. Briefly, it consists in making up a bundle of scions of the proper size, taking care that the material is not allowed to — dry out while being collected. The bundle is first wrapped in several thicknesses of waxed or oiled paper; next, it 1s wrapped in several — thicknesses of common burlap which have been dipped in water and — the water wrung out; following this another wrapping of waxed paper is put on, and finally a wrapping of dry burlap is added. The bundle is then firmly tied with string and slipped into a tin tube made for the purpose (see Pl. VI). If a tube is not available, a good tin or wooden box may be used. The box should have a tight lid. After packing the tube or box it may be sewed in a | cloth bag and shipped as other packages are shipped (see the illustration of prepared packages, Pl. 1). Numerous experiments in shipping dormant scions and other plant material have been made with the wet-burlap method. So far,all are very promising. Mango wood kept on the road for 55 days, going into the Tropics and back, was found to be in good condition. Apple and pear wood has been | shipped to Australia and Java, involving 6 to 12 weeks on the road, — and has arrived in excellent condition. Altogether the method is | the most promising one so far discovered for the kind of wood | here described. BUDS OF HARD-WOODED PLANTS Many plants, and especially the stone fruits, also the rose and other ornamentals, are propagated by budding. The operation is usually performed during the growing season; hence the buds must — be shipped at that time. Budwood, being soft and in a growing © condition as a rule, does not ship so well as dormant material. Bud- wood should be selected and handled with the same care as dormant wood. It should be free from scale and other insects and taken from healthy trees or plants. The leaves should be trimmed as soon as | the branches are cut, leaving about half an inch of the petiole intact. To prevent wilting, the “ sticks ” containing the buds should be kept wrapped in wet burlap. Pack and label as described for hard-wooded scions, using the wet-burlap method. Four or five weeks is about the limit of time such material can be kept, under the best conditions of packing, handling, and shipping. BULBS, ROOTSTOCKS, ROOTS, AND RHIZOMES Nearly all of this material when collected at the proper season keeps well, and may be forwarded long distances quite readily if properly handled and packed. Bulbs come through in good shape if packed in fairly dry, fine, sifted sphagnum moss, coconut fiber, buck- wheat hulls, grain chaff, or any material that will prevent bruising and too rapid drying out. (PI. III.) In countries where it is difficult to secure the usual packing material, bulbs, rootstocks, and roots are sometimes packed in millet seed or similar seed, which may be easily Plant Material for Long-Distance Shipment 9 obtained. This is true of material coming from remote parts of China. Bulbs and roots going forward by parcel post pack best in small wooden or tin boxes, using about double the quantity of pack- ing material by bulk as the space occupied by the bulbs. Rhizomes of bamboo and similar plants should be collected at the time when the plants are more or less dormant. Rhizomes half an inch in diameter and from 10 to 15 inches long, containing two or three good dormant eyes, are best for the purpose. Such material may be packed by the wet-burlap method, tying the bundles firmly and then sewing them in cotton cloth. Corrugated paper makes a good protective covering before putting on the cloth. CUTTINGS, SCIONS, AND BUDS OF SOFT-WOODED PLANTS Many soft-wooded plants, including the avocado, orange, lemon, grapefruit, mango, and lychee, although evergreens, are propagated by buds. (See Pls. IV and V.) Such plants are also frequently propa- gated by grafts. Material of this kind is rather difficult to ship and must be selected and packed very carefully. The wood of the mango and avocado should be well ripened but not too old. Much care should be exercised in selecting wood of these plants to avoid any- thing in the nature of insect infestation. Material for propagation had best be cut in lengths of 8 to 10 inches. The leaves should be carefuliy trimmed off, leaving spurred petioles as shown in Plate V. If the cutting is too soft, the buds are liable to wither and fail to push. On the other hand, if the wood is too old the buds may be slow in pushing, and in many instances they may not push at all. The best wood of mangos and avocados comes from branches 5 or 6 months old. Cuttings of lychee and longan are sometimes shipped, but as a rule it is difficult to get them to grow. Even when handled with great care, the buds refuse to push. Here, again, the wet-burlap method of packing is advised. A dozen good bud sticks of the orange, grapefruit, avocado, or mango will make a good shipping bundle, using tin tubes or tin or wooden boxes, as already described. (See Pl. VI.) Sew the packages in cotton cloth, as suggested for other materials. It is sometimes desirable to ship small lots of budwood, such as here described. Each of these lots may be packed by the wet-burlap method and the several bundles assembled into a large one, using first a covering of strong paper, preferably corrugated board, and finally a cotton covering sewed on. The illustrations (Pl. I) will make this method clear. ROOTED PLANTS Small rooted plants, especially deciduous ones, without soil on their roots may be shipped without difficulty when dormant (see Pl]. VIL). They should be packed in sphagnum moss, each lot or unit packet being wrapped in newspapers and oiled paper. These unit packets may be assembled in bundles or bales and covered with burlap sewed on. If there are a considerable number of smaller unit packets they may be packed in a strong box, using plenty of moss to keep the material in good condition. Getting the moss of just the right wetness is always a problem. The experienced packer can tell by the “ feel” of the moss when it is right. He can not convey this 10 Department Circular 523, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture idea of “ feel” to the inexperienced. Starting with dry moss it re- | quires about a pint and a half of water to wet properly each pound of moss. The best way to wet the moss is to put it in a can or box | and then sprinkle hot water on it. Put a tight lid on the receptacle > and let the moss stand in it overnight. | It is inadvisable without special instructions to attempt to ship plants with sou on the roots. Such instructions will necessarily vary — with the kind of plants to be shipped and the needs of the occasion. — Balled plants with a lot of soil about the roots or loose in so-called | Wardian cases are always sources of much danger. The Wardian } case, a sort of small portable greenhouse, has probably been the means of scattering more dangerous insects, nematodes, and other | pests over the earth than almost any other form of carrier; hence — its use is not advised except under special instructions. | SPHAGNUM-MOSS METHOD OF GROWING PLANTS FOR SHIPMENT | Many of the dangers and difficulties of transporting small pot- grown plants may be overcome by a method which has been fol- lowed for a number of years. Ordinary sphagnum moss, such as is commonly used for packing, is made to serve the place of soil. No fertilizer whatever is added to the moss. Many kinds of plants — thrive in this material, and when its cleanliness, lightness, and the ease ~ with which such plants are packed and shipped are considered, the — small extra labor involved in potting becomes negligible. A simple — and convenient crate for shipping plants grown in sphagnum moss — is shown in Plates VIII and IX. A comparison of the weights of moss and soil is of interest in this connection (see Plate X). A 2-inch pot of soil weighs approximately 3 ounces; 3-inch pot, 9 ounces; 4-inch pot, 1 pound 2 ounces; 6-inch pot, 3 pounds 12 ounces. Moss in the same sized pots weighs per 2-inch pot, 1 ounce; 3-inch pot, 2 ounces; 4-inch pot, 4 ounces; and 6-inch pot, 12 ounces. | The greatest factor in favor of the moss, however, is its freedom from insects and diseases. Inasmuch as no plants with balls of soil | on the roots are allowed to come into the United States, owing to ~ the risk of introducing dangerous crop pests, foreign growers may well turn their attention to the production of plants in moss, where this material is available. SPECIAL SHIPPING DIRECTIONS Seeds and plants may be shipped, if properly packed, by sample post, parcel post, express, or freight. For shipping by sample post or parcel post the unit packets already described should be assembled into proper-sized packages. A sample-post package must not weigh over 12 ounces (350 grams) and should not measure more than 12 by 8 by 4 inches (30 by 20 by 10 centimeters). The parcels may be covered with strong cotton cloth, sewed on as already described. lt will be best to write the address on the package rather than on a tag which must be tied on with string or wire. In the event that tags are used, sew them on the package. Ree Parcel-post packages may be put up in the same way. The limit of weight for parcel-post shipment is 11 pounds, and the allowable di- Plant Material for Long-Distance Shipment 11 mensions are as follows: Greatest length 314 feet and greatest length and girth combined 61% feet. No packages sheuld be shipped by express or freight without special instructions. HOW TO ADDRESS PACKAGES Linen tags bearing the proper return address will be furnished collaborators and others desiring to send seed or plant material to the Department of Agriculture. Where such tags are not at hand, address all packages: U’. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, Washington, D. C.. U. S. A. Write in the upper left-hand corner of the tag the name and address of the sender. A LAST WORD OF CAUTION It may seem unimportant to follow closely some of the directions herein given. So many failures and disastrous results have occurred from variations from the directions that the department feels com- pelled to urge that they be followed as closely as practicable in all cases. Neglect to sew cloth coverings on the packages properly may result in the total loss of valuable material. Leaving off the dry burlap wrapper and substituting newspaper therefor may cause the sweating and molding of a collection of valuable scions or budwood. Too much care can not be given to the selection of clean, healthy plant material. This country has an enormous tax to pay each year in the shape of losses resulting from some alien crop enemy that has found its way to our shores and now demands its toll in the way of diminished yields and destroyed crops. The citrus canker, now happily nearly overcome, the gipsy moth, the brown-tail moth. the San Jose scale, the white-pine blister rust, and scores of other enemies are here and are likely to give us trouble for some time. We do not want any more. ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE September 10, 1924 Necretany of Agriculture. Se HENRY C, WALLACE. AISSURT ONT ISCCTCLUT YS ie une Seal) ante Howarp M. Gore, Director of Scientific Work = HD Bani Director of Regulatory Work__.________ WALTER G. CAMPBELL. Director of Hxtension Work_2________ C. W. WARBURTON. SOUL GULP See aia 8g rye Ld ie ae ae R. W. WILLIAMS. WeOtlersBUreniist Ss Pri Cu Beli) oat CHARLES F. Marvin, Chief. Bureau of Agricultural Economics_________ Henry C. Tayror, Chief. Bureau of Animal Industry______-__ JoHN R. Mouter, Chicf. Bureau of Plant Industry. 3 WILLIAM A. TAYLor, Chief. HIGHER NERC C rN ic Sie Ruaes wha ee Rae el W. B. GREELEY, Chief. BUT COO] CMOS ye se. 8 site ce Pe Wee C. A. BrownE, Chief. BUPCEUMOR SOUS Cao aie Ra Fy yee ee MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. Burequ.o) Entomology ss L. O. Howarp, Chief. Bureau of Biological Survey___________ EK. W. NELson, Chief. Bureau of Pubic Roadss. lek THoMAS H. MacDonatp, Chief. Bureau of Home Economics_____________ LauISE STANLEY, Chief. BUT COL OTIC ONG A Sp SS eh C. W. Larson, Chief. Fired Nitrogen Research La DOTDLOTY 22 So oe F. G. Corrrety, Director. Office of Experiment Stations____..._____ EK. W. ALLEN, Chief. Office of Cooperative Extension Work________ C. B. Smiru, Chief. OPiCe Of Pullicaions-.2 22.2 ie Se L, J. Haynes, Director. UBL GIN oy) ese ge Neel ga ane SEER en LIE ae eR eee CLARIBEL R. BARNETT, Librarian, Federal Horticultural Board________________ C. L. Mararr, Chairman. Insecticide and Fungicide Board____________ ; J. K. Haywoop, Chairman. Packers and Stockyards Administration______ CHESTER Morric1, Assistant Grain Futures Administration_____________ to the Secretary. This bulletin is a contribution from Bureau of Plant EUGUS EE ane aS WILLIAM A. TAyLor, Chief. Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction______ Davip Farrcuiip, In charge. a ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 5 CENTS PER COPY V > xy af - > . ied = ae o. ; eee A ee a ee 7 =} 7 c=. 7 wd : bl hee ye ~ ca) © - A aan ie e _ ~ - ad _ : is Te . ore i = ~s 7 alt - —— - 1 6 7 My = - : ee area ae 7 Py a 7 7 i a ae Pies >a? 7 - is Pie - a a ee _ i» { a a > . wa. *' . 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