TREATMENT OP THE HEMLOCK. 



TREATMENT OF THE HEMLOCK. 



Ix a former number we promised to give the results of some expei'ience in treating 

 that most beautiful of our native evergreens, the hemlock. Its value and impor- 

 tance is attracting much attention, both as a single tree, a screen, a hedge, or a 

 shiiib, and we know nothing more deserving attention from American planters. 



It is a difficult tree to procure in many neighborhoods, (though it will be seen 

 several extensive nurserymen advertise it) and where that is the case it may be 

 grown from the seed, which is procurable from dealers in this vicinity. These are 

 to be mixed with sand, if you cannot plant them immediately. As soon as the 

 Spring opens, make a bed on the north side of a fence, where it will be shaded the 

 greater part of the day ; the bed should be composed of one-third sand, one-third 

 good loam, and one-third light leaf-mould, well incorporated and sifted. Plant the 

 seeds in drills, and cover the bed with a little old spent tan, or more leaf mould, to 

 keep it light and moist; water it regularly every evening in dry summer weather to 

 prevent the young seedlings from dying off. The young plants may be moved as 

 soon as they have vigor enough to take the positions they are designed for. 



If they can be obtained from the woods, about eighteen inches in height, time 

 will be saved, but in this case it will be useless to remove them without a covering 

 of earth for the roots brought with them ; with a little care there is no difficulty in 

 this ; to make the removal certain, sprinkle water from the rose of a watering pot 

 upon the roots after you have got them into your vehicle. The operation should be 

 accomplished about the time they are first putting forth their beautiful young 

 growth, and on a cloudy day. In planting them use the same soil as recommended 

 above for the seeds, and mulch the roots for a foot or two around with stones; these 

 are to be raised every year and a little additional leaf mould put on and the stones 

 replaced, till the plant has made a growth of several years. 



The best examples of hedges of hemlock that have anywhere come under our 

 notice, are those of Moses Brown, Esq., on Schoolhouse lane, Germantown, Phila- 

 delphia. They have been a labor of love, and the result of careful culture for many 

 successive years ; here may be seen hedges of various ages and modes of planting. 

 At first the double row, amd plants one foot apart, was adopted; this plan has pro- 

 duced handsome thickset hedges, but it consumes a great number of plants, and a 

 sinr/le row two feet and a Jia?/ ajyart has been found by actual repeated experiment, 

 to serve the purpose equally well, and to possess the advantage of exhausting the 

 soil much less. Mr. Browu brings his trees from their native habitat near by, and 

 subjects them to the shears at once to give them a trim look and to induce a close 

 habit. They make little progress for the two first years, but after that their beauty 

 becomes apparent, and they rapidly assume character and importance. Mr. Brown 

 ulches all his hemlock hedges with stone, and feeds them annually with 

 He does not trim them more than once a year, and that in the Sp 



