170 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



r August 29, 1865. 



•wMeh will give the most impenetrable fence and with the least 

 amount of trouble in the way of cutting and training. From 

 3i to 4 feet across at the base, would do for a hedge from 5 to 

 6 feet in height, and some 12 or 15 inches wide at top. The 

 hedge may be jjerpendicular on each side, and as wide at top 

 as bottom if deemed advisable, as the plant may be trained to 

 any shape. If cut or prtmed often, the outside becomes im- 

 penetrable even to birds. 



The Osage Orange (Madura aurantiaca), we have no doubt 

 would thrive with you, and it is easily propagated by layers, 

 and by cutting the roots into pieces and planting them. We 

 Lave never seen a good hedge of it. One circumstance might 

 account for this. Like some other plants, it is apt to keep up 

 a lingering existence if the first shoots are retained on the 

 plant ; but if after the first or second season's growth these 

 shoots are cut down to a hud or two, strong shoots will be 

 thrown out the next season, and these, if stopped when from 

 5_to 6 feet long, might form a dense fence. We should ima- 

 gine your cUmate would be more suitable for it than either 

 England or Noi-th America. Here it will not compete with the 

 White Thorn in general, though, if we had nothing else, it 

 might be coaxed into a good hedge fence. 



For an evergreen fence, few plants woijd beat the Portugal 

 Laurel, which hardly any amount of cold in England or Scot- 

 land will barm. Tour siunmers would just be warm enough 

 for it ; hut it has always a good appearance, and stands cutting 

 well. 



The common Laurel (Cerasus lanrocerasus), would greatly 

 exceed the Portugal in growth, and in your climate would 

 mount up with great rapidity. The difficulty would be the 

 annual cutting, to keep it iu boimds as a fence, but the cutting 

 would give a great amount of firewood. Multitudes of plants 

 could be easily obtained, first by seeds, second by layers, but 

 more quickly by cuttings. As soon as the summer's gi-owth is 

 oyer, take off the young shoots, with a httle bit of" the pre- 

 vious growth ; shorten the cuttings to some 7 or .S inches, 

 and plant the half iu the soil firmly, placing them iu rows a 

 few inches apart, if in a shady place all the better. By the 

 foUowing spring most of them will be rooted, and many fit to 

 transplant in the autumn. 



Near the sea coast, where no other fence woirld live, the Sea 

 Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), will thrive, and even in 

 poor soil. It is propagated by seeds, and also by suckers from 

 the roots, which it throws out in great abundance. 



The common Buckthorn (Ehamnus catharticus), gi-ows freely 

 in many places where the White Thorn will not flourish, and 

 from its dense compact habit makes an excellent fence ; it is 

 best propagated by seeds, which come up shortly after being 

 sown. 



The common Sloe Thorn, or Black Thorn (Prtmns spinosa), 

 though delighting most in a chalky loam, wiU flourish in almost 

 any soil, and will thrive in saltish soils, near the sea coast. It 

 is easily increased by seed, gathered when ripe, mixed with 

 sand and turned over several times for three months or so, and 

 then sown ; but when a few plants are obtained, it increases 

 amazingly by suckers. One plant left to itself would soon 

 raonopolise aU the surroimding ground. When used as fences, 

 its spreading must be guarded against, but tliis property pre- 

 vents the necessity of planting thickly at first to make a good 

 fence. 



In poor soils the Locust Tree (Robinia pseudacacia), has 

 made good fences on the Continent and iu America. The com- 

 mon Arbor 'Vitre bears the knife and shears well when used as 

 fences. The Spruce Fir and Scotch Fir do tolerably in ex- 

 posed places. We have seen fair fences of the WUlow, made 

 by planting shps a foot apart, twisting the heads together 

 when 6 or 7 feet high, and then interlacing the lower shoots. 

 But for fences in fields, on a large scale, where the Haw- 

 thorn will not grow, few fences excel those of the Beech 

 and Hornbeam. The Beech, when cut, becomes impene- 

 trable, and the old leaves hang on imtil the new ones come. 

 The Hornbeam also keeps the old leaves a long time, and in 

 rich soil grows with gi'eat rapidity. A thick fence soon be- 

 comes quite impenetrable. Seeds require much the .same care 

 as HoUies or Thorn, and the groimd should be well stirred and 

 enriched before planting. 



For field fencing we should think of the last two ; but we 

 throw out these remarks chiefly for the purpose of obtaining 

 information from others, and especially from those who have 

 themselves been in New Zealand. The local knowledge in 

 these circumstances is generally the best. Hence it is that we 

 bave made no mention of Yew, Evergreen Oak, Privet (one 



of the most quickly got-up fences with us, and which would bo 

 impenetrable if mixed with a little Black Thorn), Lanrus- 

 tinus. Junipers, &c., because we do not know how they might 

 succeed there ; or even of the Thorn Acacia, besides the Locust 

 Tree. As so many thrive iu Australia, any practical informa- 

 tion on these matters we shall consider as a favom', not only to 

 our correspondent, but to our readers generally. 



The accoimt given of the fi-uit trees is vei7 interesting. 

 With labour bo scai-ce, the only com-se it strikes us as being 

 desirable to follow, would be very shallow planting, and that, 

 too, on hillocks, so as to lessen the \'igour of gi-owth, without the 

 trouble of either Ufting or root-pnming ; and if the growth is 

 less vigorous, there wOl be Httle occasion for top-pruning. If 

 such means are taken to lessen growth, there wiU be no occa- 

 sion, we hope, to wait ten or fifteen years for fruit.] 



GAEDENING AND GARDENS IN DORSETSHIRE. 



THE BEV. W. F. RADCLYFFe's, TAERANT KUSHTON, 

 » NEAB BlANDrOED. 



(Continued from imge 145.) 



Steawbeeeies. — Although too late to see the Roses at Rush- 

 ton in the height of their first bloom, I was more fortunate in 

 respect to Strawberries ; they were in perfection, and a most 

 agreeable sight they were, the beds of strong healthy plants 

 being loaded with ripe fruit. At the same time accounts were 

 coming in from all quarters complaining of failure or deficiency 

 in crop ; here there was no indication of deficiency. Witness- 

 ing iu part the treatment of the Strawberry-beds at Eushtou 

 after the crop had been gathered, I think it would not be diffi- 

 cult to account for the shortcomings wo have so frequently 

 heard of this year. The drought of last year was doubtless 

 the chief cause, to which may be added, in some instances, 

 insufficient trenching and manuring of the gi'ound before plant- 

 ing ; and had Mr. Radclj-ffe allowed matters to go on in the 

 usual way, his crop would, probably, have been Uttle better 

 than that of others. He says, " Establish good pumps in 

 your garden ;" and with his industrious and steady hands, 

 Steve and Fred, of whose careful labours I was also a witness, 

 the copious and constant watering of the beds during the dry 

 time of last year secured a glorious crop for the present season. 



It would be superfluous to repeat here the mode of treat- 

 ment adopted at Rushton, so closely following the excellent 

 Strawberry article that appeared in the Journal a few weeks 

 since. It is sufficient to state that, to me, the principal features 

 of the Strawberry-beds seemed to be — the strength and health 

 of the plants ; the abundance and size of the berries ; and, 

 when examined singly, their flavour, weight, and colour. I add 

 the last, for there is much beauty in a weU-gi'Own Strawberry. 



The following kinds may be certainly reckoned among the 

 best^Rivers's EHza, Eugenie, Wonderful, Scarlet Pine, Frog- 

 more Late Pine, John Powell, Sir Joseph Paxton, and one not 

 so frequently met with as it deserves, the Royal Hautbois. " It 

 is difficult to make a suit of clothes to fit everybody;" and if 

 the flavour of the Royal Hautbois may not be quite agreeable 

 to the palates of some, there can be no doiibt that others will 

 have a different opinion of it, and myself among them. 



Peaches. — If the gardening world has heard frequently of 

 Mr. Radclyffe's three old Peach trees, I can assure it that it 

 has not heard too much. Never before had I looked on such a 

 renovation of old material, and I will hazard the conjecture 

 that no one else has. I am afraid to say how old the trees are, 

 for my memory may be a little at fault ; but that they are many 

 years aged is certain, and evident from the stocks upon which 

 they are worked. They occupy a space of about 50 feet of the 

 west end of the south wall, 8 feet high, separated from the 

 adjoining marsh only by the Thorn hedge before mentioned. 

 The spring frosts are fearful antagonists of these fine old speci- 

 mens, but with the aid of canvass covering judiciously managed, 

 a crop is alwaj's secured. At the present time there are not 

 less than 500 Peaches on the three trees, and so evenly dis- 

 tributed, that they have the appearance rather of being fastened 

 on artificially, than growing naturally. There they are — upon 

 the old stump wood, at the veiy bottom and close upon the old 

 branches, as well as upon the newer wood about the extremities ; 

 and there also the hydrauUc processes of Stephen are constantly 

 called into action, to keep the beautiful foliage in health, and 

 defend it from the attacks of the red spider and other pests. 



Raspbeeeies. — This is a subject that may be considered 

 by some as rather too common to be worth remarking upon. 

 Everybody can grow them, and everybody does because of their 



