448 Different Uses of Moss 



for the moisture of this material is sufficient for the early nou- 

 rishment of the plant, until it obtains stronger nourishment from 

 being transplanted, and its porosity admits the influence of the 

 atmosphere to penetrate to the lowest roots. 



From these data, care being taken that the ball of moss in 

 which a plant has rooted firmly adheres together, in such a 

 manner as that it may be taken out and transplanted like the 

 ball out of a flower-pot, without disturbing the vegetation, I 

 made use of moss in the following instances with success. 



I. With the Stock- Gillyflower* 



I made two beds ; a regular flower-bed, in which the young 

 stocks were planted as usual, and a nursery. This occupied a 

 retired spot only exposed to the morning sun, to save the trouble 

 of shading the young piants after transplantation. The ground 

 was prepared in the usual manner by digging and raking. 



Holes were then made with rather a thick dibble at the dis- 

 tance of from 4 in. to 6 in., and widened as much as possible at top, 

 by repeatedly turning round the dibble. Then in each hole a good 

 handful of damp moss, as it came fresh from the wood or the 

 meadow, was firmly pressed in. After all the holes were so 

 prepared, the hole for the plant was made in the middle of the 

 ball of moss. The young stocks were then planted in these 

 holes : the plant was held in the middle of the hole, which was 

 about 2 in. wide, and fine light mould, prepared for the purpose, 

 thrown round the roots till the plant stood firm ; then they were 

 watered in the usual manner. They required no shading, 

 owing to the situation chosen for them; and grew well, rivalling 

 those in the flower-bed. 



As soon as the double and single flowers showed themselves 

 in both beds, the single ones were weeded out of the flower-bed, 

 and the double ones from the nursery, with their balls, put in 

 their place. If, in any of the transplanted plants, a root had 

 escaped from the ball of moss, protection from the sun was of 

 service for some days ; but if that were not the case they required 

 none. Those which were transplanted grew as well as those 

 that were not transplanted, and yielded the rare advantage of a 

 bloom with double flowers only, which in point of beauty could 

 not be surpassed. . 



It scarcely requires to be mentioned, that, in the course of the 

 summer ; the roots of the plants transplanted with the balls of 

 moss penetrated into the surrounding ground. 



Watering with diluted cow-dung- which had been left to 

 stagnate for several weeks, and was applied to the plants in dull 

 weather, was latterly found beneficial. 



