HEDGES. 59 



to bestow some thought on the embellishment of grounds, thus 

 opening new sources of pleasure of a pure, tranquil, and 

 elcvathig character. Let the air, if possible, come to us loaded 

 with fragrance ; and, while we inhale its invigorating draughts, 

 let the eye rest on colors and forms of beauty, exhibiting all 

 the delicate pencillings of light and shade which mark the 

 seasons and hours, and the perpetually occurring changes in 

 the surrounding atmosphere. 



Last winter, in this vicinity, proved somewhat unfriendly to 

 hedges, particularly the arbor vitse. It is singular that a plant 

 which is indigenous so far north — which is found in perfection 

 in the forests of New Hampshire and Maine — should not be 

 hardy enough to bide the severity of our winters. But some 

 of our winter or spring winds, the latter especially, as observa- 

 tion teaches, prove terribly blighting, even to trees which are 

 native to our soil, particularly such as stand on the borders of 

 woods, or where they are exposed to strong currents and 

 receive the full force of the sweeping blast. Both the pine 

 and the common red cedar, hardy as they are esteemed, fre- 

 quently suffer, exhibiting in spring a blighted appearance, 

 though occupying their natural position. Transplanted trees 

 are more likely to suffer in this way, because generally more 

 exposed. The arbor vitas, though taken from a more northern 

 latitude, is, when standing alone, unprotected by other trees, 

 peculiarly subject to injury among us, from the blighting winds 

 referred to. Many were lost last winter or in early spring. 

 In a compact hedge they are less subject to injury from the 

 above mentioned cause, though, for some reason not fully 

 explained, a peculiar blight, last winter, fell partially on hedges 

 — confined in some instances to a single plant, in others 

 extending to several in succession. Some of these plants after- 

 wards recovered, while others, though seemingly possessing life 

 at the root, lost all appearance of vitality above the surface of 

 the ground, thus producing ugly gaps. The only remedy 

 seemed to be to remove the blighted plants and substitute 

 others. In two or three years, it is supposed, the beauty and 

 uniformity of the hedge may be thus restored. This peculiar 

 blight, however, is rare ; we have no account of its previous 

 occurrence, and the experience of last winter even, does not 



