PROPAGATING CONIFERS 211 



cuttings from damping off. Neither the species of 

 Abies nor Picea are successfully raised from 

 cuttings, though Cupressus and Thuyopsis take 

 readily. 



By Grafting. — Unless carefully performed on 

 sound principles, conifer grafting is not to be 

 recommended. The operation may be performed 

 either early in spring or about the middle of August. 

 Preferably the stock used should be from two to 

 three years old, as it is all important that both 

 stock and scion be of nearly similar size. The stocks 

 generally employed in grafting conifers are, for the 

 Picea tribe, the Norway Spruce (P. excelsa) ; for 

 the Abies, the common Silver Fir (A, pectinata) ; 

 for the Hemlock Spruces, Tsuga canadensis ; and 

 for the different Taxads, the Common Yew (Taxus 

 baccata). For the Cypress tribe, Cupressus 

 Lawsoniana is used ; for the Thuyas, Thuya 

 orientalis and T. Occident alis ; and for the Junipers, 

 Juniperus communis. It may be well to remember 

 that the Eastern Arborvitae (Biota) will not take 

 on the Western Thuya occidentalis , the Douglas on 

 the Silver Fir, or the Golden Larch on the common 

 species. Picea pungens and its variety glauca do 

 well on the Common Spruce, while quite a number 

 of Abies and Picea are unsatisfactory as grafted 

 plants. 



Usually the stocks are grown in 3-inch pots 

 placed in a cool and nearly air-tight frame. There 

 are several methods of grafting, but with most 

 conifers ordinary side grafting is to be recom- 

 mended. This consists in making a clean cut 

 downwards in the stem for three-quarters of an 

 inch in length, a transverse cut being made at the 



