1 86 



The Country Gcntlcnmiis Magazine 



for the prevention of cruelty to animals. 'W'e 

 wish we had one against the cutting and 

 maiming of trees. There was an old forest 

 law in Scotland (which, for aught we know, 

 may still exist unrepealed, although fallen 



into desuetude), by which the man who cut 

 down a young tree was doomed to lose his 

 right hand. It was a well-intentioned, 

 although ill-directed piece of legislation. 

 Had it been for pruning, indeed ! 



IMPROVEMENTS IX HEDGES. 



THE plant generally employed for fences 

 is the white thorn (Crateegus oxya- 

 cantha), and a useful plant it is for such pur- 

 poses. The varieties of evergreen hollies 

 ought to be tried, particularly when the hedges 

 run through extensive and well-regulated 

 grounds in sight of the mansion. In all peaty 

 districts the spruce fir make an excellent 

 evergreen fence. It will cover more ground 

 than the holly ; but in mossy situations this 

 extra land will be found of less value. In 

 sandy places, and particularly those near the 



employed, giving one an inclination to the 

 right and the other to the left. After being 

 trod in firmly, commence to plait all together, 

 taking one set of the plants the one way, and 

 the other set contrary, interlacing them at an 

 angle of 45*^. It will be necessary to tie them 

 at top with a piece of wire or rope yam, and 

 also at several points near the bottom, to keep 

 them in position till they adhere to each other. 

 To facilitate the union, although not abso- 

 lutely necessary, it will be desirable to take a 

 thin cutting off the bark of se^'eral, particu- 



sea-shore, the sea buck-thorn (Hippophae 

 rhamnoides) will be found an admirable sub- 

 stitute for thorns to form hedges. If it should 

 ever be required to make at once an impene- 

 trable live fence, the hornbeam (Carpinus 

 betulus) will be found the most suitable, and 

 for this purpose clean-grown sapling plants, 

 6 or 7 feet in length, ought to be procured. 

 After the ground has been properly trenched 

 and prepared, the plants should be put in, 

 two together, at every 10 or 12 inches, accord- 

 ing to the thickness or length of the saplings 



larly where they approximate. Shortly after- 

 wards they will grow together, and form an 

 impenetrable net-looking fence (fig. i). From 

 the pressure caused by the plaiting, they will 

 throw out numerous shoots along the stems, 

 which will continue to work in and fill up the 

 interstices. In time the whole length will 

 become an impenetrable mass, all engrafted 

 together, and will bear cutting-in like any 

 other hedge. Numerous other plants will be 

 found m nursery establishments suitable for 

 such purposes, as the hazel, elm, ash, beech, 



