DWABF AND SLOW-GROWING CONIFERS 



that they began to realise that in many cases these differed 

 in name, but not in appearance. 



This was my own experience ; I had started by growing 

 a few of these little conifers in my rock garden, and found 

 them so fascinating that I was encouraged to get more, 

 and searched home and foreign catalogues for them; 

 but after a few consignments had arrived, I realised 

 that but few of the older forms were true to name, and I 

 endeavoured to verify them. 



It was not my first intention to go very deeply into the 

 matter, but I found so many inaccuracies, due to the 

 inadequate descriptions of the raisers of particular forms, 

 and so many due to the careless naming of imported forms, 

 that I came to the conclusion that the confusion would 

 soon be hopeless unless the various forms were sorted out, 

 verified, and described. It was imperative that this should 

 be done while there was still a possibility of finding 

 original specimens with which the forms in commerce and 

 cultivation might be compared, and I decided to go into 

 the matter as thoroughly as the material at my disposal 

 and circumstances would allow. The results of my 

 labours are given in the following pages. 



For several reasons the task has proved to be one of 

 great difficulty, and I hardly think that I should have 

 persevered to the end had I not received such persistent 

 encouragement and help from those to whom I applied for 

 information and assistance. I am especially grateful to 

 Professor C. S. Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum; from 

 the first he has thrown open to me his splendid collection 

 of dwarf conifers, sending me specimen branches and 

 photographs. I also owe much to IVIr. W. J. Bean, of Kew ; 

 Mr. John Dunbar, of the Department of Parks, Rochester, 

 New York : to many nurserymen at home and abroad ; and 

 also to many owners of private gardens for information 

 concerning specimens in their possession. 



There are two kinds of dwarf conifers in cultiva- 

 tion : 



