PROPAGATION. 35 



will at once be appreciated when we consider that the most 

 essential conditions in raising evergreen seedlings are to 



o o o 



obtain a moist atmosphere, protection from the direct rays 

 of the sun, and at the same time a free circulation of air 

 through the plants." 



The satisfactory manner in which the above plan an- 

 swers all of these requisites, the small amount of labor, 

 and little expense attending it, should reconynend it for 

 general use. 



CUTTINGS. We are aware that cuttings of some species 

 of plants root very readily, and others cannot be made to 

 grow with all the skill and attention that can possibly be 

 bestowed upon them. The family of Conifers furnishes ex- 

 cellent illustrations of both the above extremes. We have 

 noticed trimmings of Siberian Arbor Vita3 that had been 

 thrown into the rubbish heap, rooting in the refuse mass, 

 and forming young plants without any artificial help ; but 

 on the other hand, the Pines are exceedingly difficult to 

 propagate by cuttings, even under the most advantageous 

 circumstances. Occasionally we find instances in the same 

 genus, as for example among the Junipers, where some of 

 the species are propagated by the thousands from cuttings, 

 with little or no artificial heat, and yet others invariably 

 refuse to root under the best systems known to gardeners. 



Among the Abietinece, the Pines are perhaps the most 

 difficult to increase by cuttings ; the Larches will grow 

 rather more easily ; the Cedars are more tractable still ; 

 and the Spruces, with some few species of Firs, the most 

 easy of the sub-order. The Cunninghamia is not very 

 difficult to increase by cuttings, but the Araucaria we 

 find very stubborn. 



In the Cupressinece, all the members root more or less 

 readily. Commencing with the American Arbor Yitte 

 which is the easiest of all Conifers to root, we next rank 

 the greater portion of the Junipers. The Chinese Arbor 

 Vitas, (Biota,} of which the golden variety is a fair exam- 



