CULTIVATION AND PROPAGATION 29 



their remarkable health and vigor, the conifers certainly showed 

 a quick response to this treatment. Of course, this care mostly 

 applies to conifers in a more or less juvenile condition. When 

 they attain adult size, unless they show signs to the contrarj^ 

 conifers are usually independent of such cultural attention. 



Twenty-seven years ago a street was extended through a 

 hill on the east side of Highland Park, Rochester, New York. 

 There was a cut of about one hundred feet. The slopes were 

 graded to the angle of repose and on the steepest side a re- 

 taining wall was built at the base to prevent the sand from 

 sliding. The material on the slopes was sand intermixed with 

 varying glacial drift. About four years later, that is twenty- 

 three years ago, the slopes were covered with Scotch, Austrian, 

 white, and pitch pines, and red-cedar. Rotten haj', straw, 

 decayed leaves, grass mowings, and the like were scattered 

 amongst them. They have grown well and many of them are 

 from twenty-five to thirty feet tall. These slopes now present 

 a very dignified appearance at the entrance to the Pinetum. 



At present we are mulching, with stock-yard manure, a 

 number of conifers that show signs of enervation and indicate 

 plainly they need food. 



We have recently moved a number of conifers with frozen 

 balls and these are very heavily mulched with manure. In 

 summer they will be soaked with water several times, to enable 

 them to overcome the shock of root disturbance. 



In many cases manure is not obtainable. In such event, 

 newly moved conifers should be heavily mulched with rotten 

 straw, rotten hay, or any similar rubbish for a few years until 

 they become established. The frequent stirring of the ground 

 over the roots subsequently will conserve sufficient moisture. 



We have never used artificial chemical manures on conifers 

 and cannot say anything about them. 



