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XLVIII. On the Cultivation of Plants in Moss. In a Letter 

 to the Secretary. By Mr. John Street, Gardener to 

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

 Lothian. 



Read June 6th, 1826. 



Sir, 



With pleasure I communicate to you my method of cul- 

 tivating 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 ex- 

 tensively, and find it advantageous in many ways, and par- 

 ticularly beneficial to some plants. 



The Mosses I use are the several species of Hypnum, 

 such as H. Schreberi, squarrosum, 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 gets closer together, and I 

 then fill up the top of the pot with fresh material ; but if the 



