82 



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 tho- 

 roughly) dry ; after which it is put under cover to 

 prevent its getting damp again. 



Transplanting 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 earth- 

 enware, after which the pots are filled in the follow- 

 ing manner : — First put in the prepared moss to the 

 depth of three fingers, which is well rammed down, 

 and then thinly covered with manure and salt* or 

 saltpetre. This is continued alternately till the pot 

 is rather more than half full ; after which a cylindri- 

 cal piece of wood, of from 2 to 3 inches 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. (Gard. Mag. vi. 705.) 



Pine apples grown in moss are not so sensitive as 

 those which are grown in earth, and bear watering 

 better. In the month of March put into a cask, 



