2S72 ARBOKKTUM AND FRUTICK'I UM. PART III 



the hedge bill, had actually detached itself from the parent stock, and was now 

 growino; grafted on the other, with the lower part of it pointing upwards into 

 the air !" {Laud. Gilp., i. p. 157.) 



A Larch Hedge, which immediatehi became a jPfHce, was formed, in the spring 

 of 1831, to enclose a four-acre field of high, dry, and rather poor land, in the 

 following manner : — A ditch was dug, 4 ft. wide, in the direction of the fence ; 

 and Mr. Gorrie having some plantations of larches, of nine years' standing, on 

 an adjacent eminence, which required thinning, it occurred to him that it 

 might be possible to construct of them a live fence that would have imme- 

 diate effect ; and, with this view, he had them taken up carefully, as marked 

 out for thinning, about the beginning of March. He employed two other men 

 in planting them among the earth tlirown out of the 4-ft. ditch ; he holding 

 the tree, and giving it the intended position. It occurred to Mr. Gorrie that 

 wind-waving was one principal preventive of the growth of larches transplanted 

 at tliat age, which would be avoided by laying the trees in a slanting direction ; 

 besides, fewer trees would form an efficient fence, than if standing perpen- 

 dicularly. " The trees were from 10 ft. to 1 2 ft. long, and were laid at about 

 an angle of 30° with the horizon, the tops inclining a little over the ditch to 

 the interior of the field, whence the danger from cattle attempting to break 

 through was to be apprehended ; the surface of the ditch bank being about 

 from I ft. 8 in. to 2 ft. above the ordinary level of the ground, and the upper 

 part of the roots about 3 in. below that surface, when the earth was dressed 

 off. The plants were well feathered to the bottom with side branches, which 

 were all allowed to remain on the trees ; and at the surface the roots were 

 from 2 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. distant, but the stems, or centres, of the trees, from the 

 sloping direction given them, were only from 1 ft. 3 in. to 1 ft. 6 in. distant, 

 centre from centre, which, with the branches, presented an obstruction appa- 

 rently more formidable than really so ; and which had the effect of preventing 

 any of the enclosed horses or cattle from making an attempt at taking a leap. 

 The expense of digging the ditch and planting did not exceed \s. per Scotch fall 

 (18 ft. 6 in.) ; and thus an effective live fence was put up, at less than would 

 have erected a 3-railed paling, the decay of which would commence the day 

 on which it was erected ; while the living larches, that otherwise would have 

 been almost useless, will acquire yearly strength, which will soon present an 

 insurmountable barrier to the passage of live stock ; besides affording imme- 

 diate shelter, which will be annually increasing. This year I find (as was to be 

 expected) the leading shoot begins to assume a perpendicular direction ; and 

 every fourth or fifth tree, I intend to allow to grow to full maturity, when 

 the proprietor of future times may find it convenient to have them cut up for 

 naval timber. I did not expect that every plant transplanted at that age 

 should grow; and the dry weather which followed in the summer of 1831 

 was by no means favourable to their success : about 80 plants died of 760. 

 These I, this spring, interlined with young plants of about 3 ft. in lengtii, trans- 

 planted larches from the nursery, inserted under the back-gone plant, the 

 dead branches of which gave the young plant, with a little assistance, the 

 proper direction. In order to make assurance doubly sure, I planted a row 

 of young transplanted larches from the nursery at about 1 ft. apart, and 1 ft. 

 separate from the old plants, to which they had a contrary direction given 

 them. Here I should have taken blame to myself, if I had to record the 

 tleath of a single plant. The whole are now in a thriving condition ; and I 

 can, with some degree of confidence, recommend the process to those who 

 may have upland fences to form, and thinnings of larciies of 9 or 10 years' 

 standing to spare. — /trch. Gorrie. Aiinat Gardens, Oct. 1. 1832." Mr. Gorrie 

 informs us (Uccemher, 1837) that these larches have thriven amazingly, and 

 tliat the trees placed in a slanting ])osition now form most beautiful curves. 



Dead Fences of larch branches, wattled l>etween large stakes, have been 

 tried in different parts of Scotland, and found to last many years. Young larch 

 trees have also been planted (after being killed by l)eing left several months 

 out of the soil) in the form of a hedge, for shelter in a garden; and found to 



