Movement of the International Literary Exchanges, between France and North America from January 1845 to May, 1846: With Instructions for Collecting, Preparing, and Forwarding Objects of Natural History Written by The Professors Administrators of The Museum Of Natural History At Paris. And Instructions Relative to Anthropology and Zoology
History
Movement of the International Literary Exchanges, between France and North America from January 1845 to May, 1846: With Instructions for Collecting, Preparing, and Forwarding Objects of Natural History Written by The Professors Administrators of The Museum Of Natural History At Paris. And Instructions Relative to Anthropology and Zoology
Exchange of publications
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:
[Illustration: boxes.
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.
The two smal sides of the oblong chest cut in the upper part in
pointed shape, have two glassed frames, and form a two-sided roof.
The sides and bottom should be made of oak or hard wood from 25 to 30
millimetres thick, dry and joined with groves, so that there may be no
fissure.
The glassed frames are divided by cross pieces from 4 to 5 centimetre
wide, extending from the upper to the lower edge, from 7 to 8
centimetres apart. These grooved cross pieces receive the glasses
which should be thick, covering one another like the tiles of a roof,
and well cemented. One of the frames is fixed on one of the sides of
the chest; the other is fixed on the other sides, and on the upper
frame opposite, with screws well oiled to prevent rust. These boxes
should be well puttied and painted.
Two strong iron handles should be fixed on each end of the box; and a
solid grate made of iron wire, propped above the glasses by several
iron rods, will prevend their fracture.
A bed of 4 or 5 centimetres of clayey earth moist enough to stick to
the bottom, is first put in the box; then a layer of earth, mined if
possible with vegetable decay of 15 or 20 centimetres; the plants are
embedded in this earth either in pots or wicker baskets.
To prevent accidents on a long voyage and especially from the port to
Paris, straw and rushes may be used, with wooden cross pieces nailed
to the partitions of the chest.
A box of the size described contains from 15 to 25 or 30 plants
according to their size.
Seeds, especially of the kinds that preserve with difficulty their
germinating power, may be sown among these plants, such as those of
the palms, laurels, oaks, several conifers, roses, etc.
Plants put in these boxes should have good roots, and not taken
directly from the country. In case they are, time should be given them
to take root, before closing the box.
Before closing the box, care should be taken to water the earth well,
but not too much.
It should then be hermetically sealed, and not opened during the
voyage. It should be kept on the open deck, and if the glasses are
broken, they should be immediatly replaced; if there are holes in the
wood, they should be puttied.
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