52 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 15, 1888. 
or even nine trees, all of which may be arranged in different forms, so 
that each may have a different character. To attain this requires con¬ 
siderable knowledge and skill, and a prophetic eye as to different com¬ 
binations of figure and kinds of trees necessary to produce a desired 
character in the scene. The greatest beauty of a group of trees, as far as 
respects their stems, is the different forms they take as they grow into 
trees. Some, for instance, grow quite upright, if ever so close together; 
others take a slanting direction ; whilst, in some groups, one tree will 
grow quite upright, and its neighbour will push out in an almost horizontal 
position. These different arrangements, or appearances, may be attained 
in various ways by planting in different distances from each other. I 
have often obtained a very pretty group by planting two or three together, 
and allowing them to grow naturally, just as they pleased. 
Great diversity of character may be given to groups of tree*, and the 
greater the number (within bounds) of trees the greater variety of position, 
and, consequently, character may be attained. The grand object of 
group-planting, however, is the connecting them together in various 
views, and, at the same time, to leave a sufficient; breadth of the grassy 
part of the park open for grazing. Groups should always be connected 
in the distance with the wood, forest, or belt, but should never be planted 
in the deep sinuosities of the margin of such a miss of trees : they 
should rather be placed near to the projecting swells, and by that position 
they will seem, in different views of them, to form a part of, and increase 
the depth of, the wood or belt. In such a position, a single tree should 
be planted beyond the group into the park, to still more increase that 
character. Single trees, in general, are very objectionable. It has been, 
I am sorry to say, a very common practice, by many planters, to introduce 
into park scenery a great number of these single trees, with a view of 
effecting a character which can only be obtained by grouping. I once 
saw, in Hampshire, an example on a large scale of this dotting with 
single trees. Nay, the planter was not content with planting the trees 
(Oaks) singly, and at equal dis’ances, but he actually planted every one 
of them on large hillocks, 3 or 4 feet above the surface. The insipidity 
and absurdity of this dotting arrangement was absolutely sickening 
How different Nature arranges the group, the glade, and the thicket, 
every lover of rural or forest scenery is aware of. Let such formalists 
go to the wild forest, or even look at groups of trees in such places as 
Chatsworth or Hatfield, and many other places where groups of noble 
trees abound, and let them study and reflect whether such sprinkling and 
dotting trees will ever produce such fine effects. 
The kinds of trees for grouping depend much upon the soil and situa¬ 
tion. In high, dry soils, the Scotch Fir, the Beech, the Birch, the 
Mountain Elm, and the Mountain Ash, may be used with every prospect 
of success. In lower elevations, the Oak and the Ash, with some of the 
Pious tribe, form fine groups. In planting them, I would advise each 
group to be of one kind, or very nearly so. An outside tree of a large 
group may be of a different sort, to give variety ; and that outside tree 
should be next to an adjoining group of the same kind, which would five 
the idea that it had straggled from it. Some groups should have the 
tallest trees in the centre, and the outside, or points, should be lower, and 
branched to the ground. Other groups, by way of diverse character, 
should have the centre the lowest, so as to appear like two groups united 
by low trees. In fact, the great aim of the planter should be to have 
every group of as different character as possible from its neighbour. I 
never saw, in old parks or wild forest lands, two groups alike. 
The undulations of the ground in the park will generally give the 
planter opportunities of placing his groups in good pos tions. The tongue 
of a piece of elevated ground is a good position for a group, or on the side 
of a rising ground will answer for one or more admirably, especially if 
t.iere is a mass of wood on the top ; only avoid all formality, not only in 
the number of trees in each group, but also the distance from each other, 
and the masses of which they are to seem a part in various pjints of 
view.—P. 
REVIEWS OF BOOKS. 
Handbook of Mosses. By James E. Bagnall, A.L.S. London : Swan, 
Sonnenschein, Le Bas, aud Lowery, Paternoster Square. 1886. 
This interesting work the author modestly terms an essay, and 
remarks that it has been “written in the leisure hours of one whose 
everyday life is spent amid the busy hum and constant strain of a work-a- 
day life in a large town.” Its chief object is to direct aitention to the 
study of these minute but beautiful forms of vegetation, and in conse¬ 
quence it is not taken up with botanical descriptions of the genera oi 
species, but deals in a more popular mauner with the leading peculiarities 
of the family. Chapters are devoted to “ The Appliances and Materia 
required for Study,” “Development” “Moss Habitats,” “Classification’ 
“ 1'he Geographical Distribution of Mosses,” “ Cultivation,” “ Uses,” and 
“ Preparing Specimens for the Cabinet.” The structure ’is clearly and 
simply explained, numerous illustrations assisting in rendering the organs 
of the plants better understood. Few who have not examined the Mosses 
closely have little idea respecting their beauties, but, as Ru-kiu bas said" 
1 No words that I know of will say what these Mosses are. None are 
delicate enough, none perfect enough, none rich enough. How is one to 
tell of the rubied bloom, fiue-filmed, as if the rock sp rits c uld spin 
porphyry as we do glass—the traceries of intricate silver, and tring-s ot 
amber, lustrous, arborescent, burnished through every fibre into fitful 
brightness and glassy traverses of si ken change.” A lei-ure h .nr or two 
may well be occupied in the study of these charming little plants „nd 
the young student will find this Handbook a useful assistant in mastering 
their peculiarities of structure. 
Very few botanic gardens include living collections of Mosses, but at 
Glasgow a good representative collection of the best marked types has 
been grown, and some time since an accomplished horticulturist wrote us 
that he had never seen anything more interesting in auy garden of the 
kind. A collection is in process of formation at Kew, but the cultivation 
of many Mosses is by no means easy, and as there may be amateurs who 
desire to try a few, we give Mr. Bagnall’s chapter on the subject. 
“ Possibly few have thought the cultivation of the Mosses a matter 
worthy of their attention—in fact, many a lover of plants would rather 
destroy than encourage them—yet few plants more amply repay the little 
trouble they require. But the difficulty is to make a start, or, having made 
a start, to retain in a flourishing condition the Mosses we have. The 
choicer species are often most difficult to manage, as though their untamed 
natures refused to submit to the thraldom of cultivation. Another difficulty 
that I have found is this, that the commoner species—such, for instance, as 
Funaria—will overrun all others, and become as it were quite masters of 
the situation. To attempt to raise these plants from spores is also another 
disappointment; certainly Mosses come, but, so far as my own experience 
serves, not the Mosses one requires. Hence I have found that, after all, the 
safest and surest way is to get the plants fully grown, to at once place them 
in their intended position, and above all to imitate as nearly as possible the 
natural surroundings of the plant. 
“ Fern cases are sometimes recommended for this sort of culture ; these 
I have t ied myself and seen tried by others ; and my own expeoience is, 
that whilst the Mosses really look beautiful and all that we could wish for 
a while, yet after the first season they degenerate, many of them die out, 
and others are so drawn up by the glass as to destroy all their natural 
beauty. 
“ The plan which appears to me to be the most successful is, as I have 
said, to get the plants from their native habitats in good condition, taking 
care to bring with them plenty of soil. I believe that one of the main 
reasons why these plants will not thrive is, that the collectors neglect to do 
this. 
“ The commoner species, such as Funaria, Torlula muralis, and Cerato- 
don, will scarcely require to be encouraged, as they will establish them¬ 
selves wherever a likely wall or rockwork presents itself, providing that the 
place chosen is not in a smoky district. Some of the tree Mosses, such as 
Leucodon sciuroides and Anomodon viticulosum, I have succeeded in grow¬ 
ing by bringing some of the bark on which they were growing and fastening 
it down with pegs on the earth. To attempt to grow these after they have 
been r moved from the bark will be sure to end in failure. In the case of 
those species which grow on rocks or stones, a portion of the rock should 
be, if possible, detached, as the Mosses are more likely to live where they are 
established than they would be if they were removed from their habitat, and 
in these cases the pieces of rock will require to be either bedded in the 
rockery or in pots, making the upper part of the rock level with or slightly 
above the level of the soil. 
“ A very successful cultivator of Mosses, Mr. R. Yeitch, gives the follow¬ 
ing account of his mode of transplanting and cultivation :—‘ For Grimmia 
pulvinata and Orthotrichum anomalum, I use a soft porous stone the size 
of the pot, filling it with drainage to such a height that the stone, when 
resting on it, is level with the brim. The patches are then placed upon the 
stone with a little space between each, and for the purpose of keeping them 
steady I sprinkle a little fine mould into the open spaces. I then water 
them overhead with a fine rose. For Mosses of this description little water 
is necessary ; and it ought never to be applied until the leaves begin to 
collapse, and even then with a sparing hand. They should then be placed 
in a cool, shady situation, and in six or eight weeks they will be attached to 
the stones. The mould being first removed by m’ans of a gentle run of 
water, the pots are then placed in a more airy and exposed situation.’ And 
speaking of a rea ly more difficult class of Mosses, he says :—‘ Ail varieties 
which partake of the same trailing habit as Hypnum pno'ongum, should not 
be planted, but laid upon the mould ; three or four small pegs will prevent 
them from bring mov. d. In the course of a few weeks the pegs will be 
covered with a mass of green foliage.’ My own plan has been to bring home 
a good m iss of these plants with plenty of soil, to lay them upon the earth 
of the rockery, and pat them down well with a spade; th ; s of course makes 
them dirty for a time, but a shower of rain soon remedies that. I have 
found that covering the newly transplanted Mosses with peg lattice has 
been a great help against the attacks of small birds, who are very apt to 
ruthlessiy root up the plants without some protection. 
“Aquatic species, such as Fontinalis antipyretica or Cinclidotus, can 
only be grown in water, and in these cases I think it is imperaiive that a 
portion of the stone or wood to which they are attached should be removed 
with them. I have, however, grown Fontinalis for a season, well, without 
any attachment. 
“ A few hints as to some of the more easily obtained and cultivated 
Mosses may be of interest.. 
“ Atrichum undulatum is a beautiful species, well worthy of attention ; 
out it will require, during the winter, protection frum frost or bitrng winds, 
aud also plenty' of moisture. Few species show *-o soon the influence of 
change of temperature. If a good supply of the beaut fill fruit is required, 
it will be essential that good tuits are taken with a fair depth of soil, as the 
plant usually penetrates rather deeply, and care should be taken that the e 
is a good sprinkling of the male flowers in the tuft. The soil used for 
potting thip should be of a stiff marly or clayey nature, and little or no 
draina e will be required. A plemiful supply of water will be needed. 
“ This plant will be found in woods and in moist shady situations, more 
especially in heavy soils. 
“ Pogonatum urnigerum and P. alpinum are both worthy of cultivation, 
and should have a good peaty soil and plenty of root moisture. P. commune 
never seems to flourish more than one season, but might possib’y be made 
to succeed if a good depth of soil were taken with it, and the plants were 
grown in a seed pan with plenty of silver sand mixed with the soil in 
which it was embedded. This will also want a good supply of root 
moisture. 
“ The E rtinguisher Moss, Encalypta vulgp-ris, I have never grown. As 
this is an annual it will be required to be renewed year by year. But Enci- 
lypta Streptocarpa, wh : ch will be found often iu abundance on old mortir- 
