PROPAGATING CONIFERS. ]39 



pans, or boxes in an unheated frame. The soil should be 

 kept in a uniform state of moisture, and the lights tilted for 

 an hour or two every morning to prevent too humid an 

 atmosphere, and the cuttings from damping off. 



By gfra.fting', 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 for grafting 

 on 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. excelsd); for the Abies, the 

 common silver fir {A. pecti7iatd); for the Hemlock firs, 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. occidentalis ; 

 and for the Junipers, ///////^r/^j contfnunis. 



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 recommended. This consists in making a clean cut down- 

 wards in the stem for | of an inch in length, a transverse cut 

 being made at the termination thereof, and sufficient of the 

 wood and bark removed to allow of the insertion of the graft. 

 The scion should be prepared by cutting the end square across, 

 and by shaving a piece from one of the sides of similar length 

 to the cut in the stock in fact, the scion should as nearly as 

 possible replace the portion cut from the side of the stock. 

 About 4 inches is a good length for the scion, which should, 

 after being prepared as above directed, be tied securely in its 

 place by grafting cotton, and this covered over either with 

 clay or grafting wax. The frame containing the pots of 

 grafted conifers should be kept close and shaded from too 

 powerful light by mats or screening ; but at the same time 

 condensed moisture should be allowed to pass away by 

 opening the lights for a short time in the morning. 



In from a month to six weeks many of the grafts will have 



