234 EXTRACTS. 



On flip. Cultivation of Plants in Moss. In a Letter to the Secretary 

 of the London Horticultural Society. By Mr. John Street, 

 Gardener to the Hon. Mrs. Hamilton Nesbitt, at Beil, in East 

 Lothian. 



Sir, — With pleasure I communicate lo you my method of cultivating 

 plants in Moss. I am not aware that it has been practised by any person 

 but myself, and, therefore, consider that I am the discoverer of the plan, 

 which I now use extensively, and find it advantageous in many ways, and 

 particularly beneficial to some plants. 



The Mosses I use are the several species of Hypnum, such as H. Schreberi, 

 squarrosuin, purum, &c, these I collect in woods from under the bushes, 

 taking up with them the decaying stalks and leaves which are found amongst 

 them. Sometimes I add about an inch of the surface of the vegetable mould 

 which is under the Mosses, to mix with them in the pots. 



The Mosses so collected are pressed closely into the pots, and the plants 

 are put into them as if into mould. For some plants I find it useful to add 

 a little loam to the Mosses, in other cases sharp sand, which is sometimes 

 preferable to the loam. If the plants require manure, I give it in a liquid 

 'state. As the Mosses decay, the mass gels closer together, and I then fill up 

 the top of the pot with fresh material; but if the roots are much at the lower 

 part of the pot, I prefer making the addition at the bottom. 



The plants which I have cultivated in Mosses are many; the following 

 amongst others, Canna Indica and patens, Calla Ethiopica, Agapanthus 

 ninbellatus, Hydrangea hortensis, Disandra Prostrata, Justicia nervosa, 

 Gorteria rigens, Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, &c. Some plants do better, and 

 flower earlier and more vigorously, in Mosses than in mould, such as Euco- 

 mis striata, Eucomis punctata, &c. 



The roots of whatever things are put into the M03SCS spread and increase 

 surprisingly, especially such as require being kept wet, for the Mosses retain 

 moisture longer and more uniformly than mould. 



In my practice I find several particular benefits in using pots thus filled 

 with Mosses, in preference to mould; they are so much lighter that they are 

 moved with greater readiness, and in large sized pots the risk of breaking 

 them from their weight when they are moved is avoided. Pots of ornamental 

 plants which are to be placed in the apartments of a house, have great ad- 

 vantages when filled with Mosses, for independent of the facility with which 

 they are moved, they make no dirt or litter on the floor, which often ocenrs 

 when the pots are filled with mould. In sending plants to a distance, those 

 which are rooted in Mosses travel admirably, they turn well out of the pots, 

 and the roots are so mixed with the Mosses that they do not separate from 

 them as they would from mould; and besides this safety to the plants, the 

 Mosses are so light that the package is conveyed with comparative ease. 



I have succeeded in striking cuttings of many plants in Mosses, such as 

 Aucuba Japonica, Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis, Buddlea globosa, &c, and those 

 make roots very freely and much faster than they do in mould. I believe 

 the plan might be generally adopted in propagation by cuttings. 



Some bulbs, I do not doubt, will do well in Mosses; I have tried the yel- 

 low Crocus, and found it to succeed perfectly, and to (lowermost freely when 

 so treated. With Hyacinths I have not yet succeeded; the varieties of 

 Polyanthus Narcissus, such as Grand Primo and Bazelman Major, blossom 

 will when grown with a portion of Mosses in the pots. Some species of Cape 

 Gladioli also succeed well. 



Such are the results of my experience in this matter, and I shall be happy 

 to hear that they are thought worthy of consideration by the Horticultural 

 Society of London. 



Beil, near Dunbar JOHN Street. 



