386 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



COLLECTING AND PEESERVING MOSSES. 



BY F. y. BHOCAS. 



APPAEATUS. 



N the midst of wintry desolation, how the eye is charmed 

 by the vivid freshness of the tufts of emerald moss that 

 beautify the clefts of the rocks, the decayed hollows of 

 old stone-walls, and the buttresses of grey rviins. The 

 study of mosses is attractive beyond the unique beauty 

 of the plants, for every investigation of their structure reveals a 

 wonderful system of vegetable mechanism, which under the micro- 

 scope assumes the most varied and artistic forms, often as geometrical 

 as snow-crystals, and very frequently being striking resemblances to 

 familiar works of art. A simple Coddiugton lens is sufficient to 

 determine most of the species, and we are invited to search them 

 out by ihe romantic situations in which they are usually found ; 

 nay, they make dreary places romantic for a time, and carpet the 

 earth with verdure when most other forms of vegetation have yielded 

 to the rigours of winter. But the mosses are not exclusively winter 

 plants ; every month in the year presents us with species in growth 

 and fruit, and there is always some such to be sought by the 

 collector. Tliey are, nevertheless, in their highest perfection in the 

 midst of frost and snow, and at this season of the year the beginner 

 need not search far to discover an abundance of the most interesting 

 and beautiful species. 



Eor collecting mosses, the following apparatus will be required : 

 — ist. A waterproof bag, of oilskin, gutta-percha, or some such 



material, for aquatic spe- 

 cies, 2nd. A small-sized 



dinner-knife, which should 



be provided with a leather 



sheath as used for scissors. 



This, from its long, thin, 



and flexible blade, is far 



preferable to a pocket-knife, 



to peal mosses off trees, 



palings, walls, etc. 3rd. A 



small hoe - shaped blade, 



fitted to a short tube, like 



an elongated thimble, with 

 Pig. 1.— The Hoe-Blade, a bayonet-joint. Any clever 



workman would suggest 

 the mode of constructing this instrument, 

 which should be made to fit a walking-stick 

 or umbrella, or it may have a handle made on 

 purpose (Eig. 1). 4th. A few unglazed holland bags — say six — 



Fig. 2.— The Bag. 



