350 



A CHAPTER ON HEDGES. 



shoot of the old wood. Hence it is that a 

 buckthorn hedge does not appear, and is not, 

 really well armed with thorns till it has at- 

 tained its full shape, and lias had a couple 

 of seasons' shearing. After that the hedge 

 being well furnished with the ends of the 

 shoots, it presents thorns on every face, and 

 is a thorough defence. Besides this, it is a 

 stronger and stouter plant than the thorn, 

 and offers more absolute resistance than the 

 latter plant. Though it may be kept low, 

 yet it makes a most efficient shelter if al- 

 lowed to form a high hedge. One of the 

 largest and oldest specimens in New-Eng- 

 land is that at Roxbury, planted by the late 

 Hon. John Lowell, and still growing on 

 the estate of his son. It is very strong, and 

 if we remember right, twelve or fifteen feet 

 hiffh.* 



II. THE MACLXJRA, OR OSAGE ORANGE. 

 Maclura auranliaca. 



The Osage Orange, or Maclura, grows wild 

 in abundance in the state of Arkansas, and 

 as far north as the Red River. 



It is one of the most striking and beauti- 

 ful of American trees. Its foliage is not 

 unlike that of the orange, but more glossy, 

 and polished ; indeed it is of a bright var- 

 nished green. It grows luxuriantly, about 

 thirty or forty feet high, with a wide and 



* Mr. Derby of Salem, was one of the first persons to em- 

 ploy the Buckthorn, and to urge its value upon the public. 

 From the Transactions of the Essex Agricultural Society for 

 1812, we extract some of his remarks relating to it : "I do not 

 hesitate to pronounce the Buckthorn the most suitable plant 

 for hedges I have ever met with. It vegetates early in the 

 spring, and retains its verdure late in autumn. Being a na- 

 tive plant, it is never injured by the most intense cold, and its 

 vitality is so great that the young plants may be kept out of 

 ground for a long time, or transported to a great distance 

 without injury. It never sends up any suckers, nor is disfig- 

 ured by any dead wood. It can be clipped into any shape 

 which the caprice or ingenuity of the gardener may devise, 

 and it needs no plashing or interlacing, the natural growtli of 

 the plants beuig sufficiently interwoven. It is never cankered 

 by unskiUul clipping, but will bear the knife to any degree." 



Fig. 81. The Osage Orange. 



spreading head. The flowers are small 

 and inconspicuous, pale green in color, those 

 preceding the fruit resembling a little 

 ball, {see Jig are.)* The fruit (Fig. 82.) it- 

 self is about the size and shape of an orange, 

 yellow at full maturity, and rough on the 

 outside, not unlike the seed of the button- 

 wood or sycamore. It hangs till October, is 

 not eatable, but is striking and ornamental 

 on a large tree. This tree was first intro- 

 duced into our gardens, where it is now well 

 known, from a village of the Osage Indians, 



#The male aaid female flowers are borne on separate trees. 



