Growing Pine-apples in Moss. 705 



Art. XXVII. On growing Pine-apples in Moss. By M. Jacob 

 Seimel, Head Gardener to the Count Montgelas, at Bogen- 

 hausen, near Munich. 



Sir, 



When you lately honoured the gardens of Count Mont- 

 gelas, at Bogenhausen, with a visit, you expressed a wish that 

 I would communicate to you, in writing, my method of raising 

 pine-apples in moss. I am happy to have it thus early in my 

 power to comply with your request ; and you may be assured 

 that the statements I am about to make are the genuine 

 results of twelve years' experience and observation. 



Of the Gathering of the Moss, its Treatment and Mixing. — 

 The moss (i/ypnum spec, div.) is gathered in the months of 

 September and October in the woods, and chopped small at 

 home with a hatchet, or cut like chaff, after which it is laid up 

 in a broad heap in the open air. About four English bushels 

 of horn shavings, or more, are added to every two-horse-load 

 of moss, and well mixed with it ; after that the heap is left 

 undisturbed till the following spring. In the first fine days 

 of March, the moss thus mixed is spread in the air, in order 

 to get it tolerably (but not thoroughly) dry ; after which it is 

 put under cover to prevent its getting damp again. 



Of the Transplanting of the Pine-apples without Balls. — 

 The pots are chosen in proportion to the size of the plants, but 

 they are generally larger than when the plants are to be potted 

 in earth. The apertures at the bottom are, as usual, covered 

 with bits of earthenware, after which the pots are filled in the 

 following manner : — We first put in the prepared moss to 

 the depth of three fingers, which is well rammed down, and 

 then thinly covered with manure, salt, or saltpetre. This is 

 continued alternately till the pot is rather more than half 

 full ; after which a cylindrical piece of wood, of from 2 to 3 in. 

 in diameter (according to the stoutness of the plant), is placed 

 upright on the moss in the pot, and the latter is then filled to 

 the top with the same substance, with thin sprinklings of salt 

 between the layers as before. The wood is then taken out, 

 and the hole partially filled up with fine good mould. The 

 number of pots thus prepared must be the same as that of the 

 roots to be transplanted. 



The propagation of the pine-apple is effected, as it is well 

 known, either by the setting of the sprouts or suckers (proles), 

 or of the crowns (coma). 



The suckers are separated from the mother plant by being 

 torn off, after which the fibres which appear in the place where 

 they have been attached are trimmed with a sharp knife, and 



Vol. VI. — No. 29. z z 



