TREE AND SHRUB LIST 199 



JUNIPERUS Continued 



"When the little plants are ready to be planted in the nursery, they 

 are set in beds, in order to make it easier to keep them free from weeds. 

 They are planted close together, to insure a straight, smooth growth. 

 In December they are potted, and then placed in a frame. Before pot- 

 ting, however, they must be trimmed, and all the small branches re- 

 moved from the bottom, about 3 inches to 4 inches up the stem. Then 

 by the time they are grafted, the stems are healed nicely. Grafting is 

 done in March. The cions are usually very thin, but that does not 

 matter. If the cion is very long, it can be cut back a little." 



CUTTINGS. Grow readily from soft, unripe wood in greenhouse or 

 from more mature wood in frames. It takes two years for some to 

 root. (See fig. 75, also p. 73). 



GRAFTING. See paragraph above, on seeds, for raising stocks. 

 Van Kleef then continues: 



"The little plants in the pots must be kept rather dry at all times 

 during the grafting process, to prevent molding. They are aired every 

 morning for a few minutes in the greenhouse, and the drops of water 

 which cover the plants must be removed by sliding your hand over 

 them very gently. If mold appears in some places it must be cut away 

 immediately; dying plants also should be removed. In about three 

 weeks the plants are examined and changed around. Usually a large 

 space is gained, as plenty of dead plants have to be thrown away. A 

 small piece of the top of the plant is cut off, when they are changed 

 around, as the cion of the Juniperus needs much light. It usually 

 takes six or seven weeks for the cions to grow on to the stems, then 

 they are brought out into the frame. 



"The first week in the frame only a little air is given every morning; 

 after that the plants are hardened off gradually, so that the first part 

 of June they can be planted out in the nursery. 



"In my experience with American nurserymen, I always have noticed 

 that few of them believe in using sticks with coniferous evergreens, 

 so as to train them into beautiful, straight plants. And even when they 

 do use sticks, the stick is usually tied to the plant, instead of the plant 

 being tied on to the stick. There is, of course, a way to grow straight 

 conifers without the use of sticks; that is, by trimming them a certain 

 way. This is done by cutting back the top of the plant almost to the 

 old wood, leaving one of the small side branches for a top. However, 

 this method takes several years longer to produce coniferous evergreens 

 of commercial size. 



"In Holland, after the planting season is over, the nurseryman begins 

 to set out his Bamboo sticks, and usually starts with the small ever- 

 greens which were propagated during the last Winter. Then for the 

 next two or three years the small Junipers are not disturbed, except 

 for root pruning, trimming and tying them on to sticks. 



"It is the aim of every Holland nurseryman to secure as straight and 

 high an evergreen during the first few years as he can, by tying up the 

 tops and trimming them severely on the sides. After a certain height 

 is reached they are not trimmed so severely on the sides any more, 

 but are allowed to fill out somewhat. Never leave a conifer to become 

 too thick at the bottom, as it soon gets the shape of a Pineapple." 

 KALMIA. Mountain Laurel. 



SEEDS. Sow in Spring in a mixture of sand, peat and loam in pans or 

 flats and keep in greenhouse or coldframe. Transplant seedlings 

 early into other flats. Do not put out in open for a year. 



CUTTINGS. Most species, except K. latifolia, grow nicely from half- 

 ripened wood cuttings. 



LAYERS. 



