Stream Corner

Commence packing by lining the boxes with soft paper, then place rolls of paper or corrugated cardboard across the width of the box. These rolls should be large enough in diameter to support the bloom without crushing the back florets against the base of the box, and long enough to hold in position by pressure against the sides.

This may not be possible if the blooms are very large, in which case the position should be reversed. If five or six blooms are required they should be staged in an approximate circle round a central bloom.

All blooms should face the front, not quite touching each other, and facing slightly upwards. They should be staged high, on long stems, although not so high that the height is out of proportion with the size of bloom. If possible, and provided the schedule allows this, stage blooms of one variety providing all the blooms are of equal merit. If one or more blooms are not up to the standard of the others, or are of a different size, then it is best to bring in blooms of another variety if these are of much the same size and formation.

Another row is laid in at the other end of the box, passing the ends of the stems under the supporting roll at the opposite end. Lighter rolls are then laid on the stems of these blooms and more blooms laid in at each end threading the stems between those already in position. Carry on in this fashion until the box is full.

The angle at which the individual blooms are held should also coincide if this is possible. Ideally, each should he held at an angle of 45 as compared to the stem, but it is not always possible to select blooms with this ideal characteristic which are perfect in all other respects. I, however, with care, it is usually possible to arrange the blooms in such a fashion that all are held at the same apparent angle, despite differing in actuality.

Examine each bloom as you take it out of the box for damage, then remove the bottom inch of the stem under water to ensure that water is taken up quickly and easily. Incidentally if the blooms have been out of water for some hours they may be very limp, and may take a couple of hours or even more to regain turgidity, so remember this when starting your journey and allow ample time for recovery. If some blooms seem unable to take up water, try inserting the blade of a knife through a joint just below the top of the water, giving a gentle twist at the same time to open the gap. This will usually be effective, particularly if the gap is kept open by inserting a thin matchstick. Certain blooms tend to softness in the stem when dry -Edna D is a notorious example of this-and a light cane should be tied to the stem of such varieties when putting into water. This will keep the stem straight until the cells become stiff with water when it can be removed, just before leaving the hall after staging.

For the same reason it is best to leave this de-branching until the side shoots have reached a reasonable length, say some 4 to 6 in. long, before attempting to remove surplus growth.

At this stage it will be fairly obvious which shoots are suitable for retention and which are not. The surplus growth should be removed with a very sharp knife, cutting through the growth as closely as possible to the junction with the main stem.

In addition, though not completely essential, it is as well to dust a little flowers of sulphur or hydrated lime on the cuts to prevent any possibility of infection entering the open wound.

The main thing to remember is that there is an immense variation in the time taken by individual varieties to produce blooms, and that it is best to find out before stopping time, when growing a new variety, whether it is naturally early or late blooming, and to stop accordingly, basing the calculation on the assumption that the majority of varieties will bloom approximately io to 12 weeks from the date of stopping. This is a very approximate guide, but it will give a sound basis to work upon until an accurate knowledge is built up from the variations from the normal displayed by different varieties.

Later the use of a hoe will be inadvisable owing to the presence of feeder roots close to the surface. The second is the removal of all pests. The dahlia is peculiarly susceptible to attack at this time; earwigs and slugs in particular will completely ruin a plant in a matter of days if allowed complete freedom.

If only one stake is provided the developing growth should be carefully looped back to this, striving to provide support but at the same time keeping the plant open to allow the free circulation of air through the foliage and also to prevent bunching of flowers when these appear. Overcrowding can only lead to bruised and malformed florets. If the stakes have been wired together some of the branches could he secured to the supporting wires. Where a cane has been provided for each branch all that is needed is a simple loop of string round branch and stake at regular intervals.

In the past you had to go to a store if you wanted to rent or buy a movie. Instead of buying or renting the dvd, people now can choose a movie download instead. Let's look at what you might find to watch using a movie download site.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park: John Hammond has learned to bring dinosaurs back to life from their DNA. After an attempt at marketing viewing these dinosaurs goes terribly wrong, all the animals are killed and the island closed. The problem is that something has survived.

Speed: A devious terrorist has set a terrifying situation in motion. He has set a bomb on an L.A. city bus. The catch is that if the bus goes less than 50 mph, the bomb will go off. Can officer Jack Traven somehow save the passengers from their desperate situation?

Vantage Point: Shortly after arriving at the global warming summit, U.S. President Ashton is shot. In this unique perspective film, we replay the events from four different vantage points, as we try to figure out what actually happened. Stars Dennis Quaid, Sigourney Weaver, and Forrest Whitaker.

Born On The Fourth Of July: A true story that chronicles the life of Ron Kovic. A volunteer in the army, Ron does a tour in Vietnam, where he suffers injuries that leave him paralyzed. After his disturbing treatment by the government, and harrowing experiences in VA hospitals, Ron becomes an anti war activist. He feels completely betrayed by the country that he fought for.

Quantum of Solace: This is the latest next great Bond adventure. As usual Bond is fighting an evil force. This time it's the sinister Dominic Green and his powerful organization that Bond must bring down.

Bolt: This is an animated family adventure film about Bolt, a dog actor. On hjis TV series Bolt is and action super hero. When he is accidentally shipped to New York, he thinks his super powers will get him home. He teams up with, Mittens the cat, and Rhino the hamster, and tries to get back to Hollywood.

The Passion Of Christ: This movie deals with the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Betray by Judas he has been arrested, and taken to the leaders of Pharisees. It is the Roman Governor Pilate who ultimately decides his fate. He gives the Jews one last chance to choose to save Jesus, instead they choose to free Barrabas, a true criminal, and Jesus will now be crucified.

Madagascar: Escape From Africa: Trying to get back to New York, our four animal friends get lost again. This time they visit their ancestral homeland of Africa. Now they must decide, do they want to stay in Africa, or return to the only home they have ever known, The Central Park Zoo.

Ghost Busters II: The ghost busters are on their second major adventure. Their company went bust but when Dana begins to have problems again, the team reunites to come to her aid. Once again, New York is approaching a supernatural apocalypse. It's up to the ghost busters to save New York again.

For quite a while now we all have used the internet for music downloads. We are now seeing the same type of growth in the online movie business. Movie downloads just might be the wave of the future.