32 : On Hedging. 
while the wood is tender and succulent, than when ma- 
ture and hardened afterwards. t 
But, beauty and neatness being out of the question, 
it is evident that the trimming of hedges does not con- 
tribute to strengthen or enlarge the stems of the plants, 
as some people suppose theoretically that it ought to do; 
thinking that by cutting off the top of a tree, the whole 
quantity of nourishment conjectured to be taken in by 
the roots alone, will be confined to that part which is left, 
forcing it to increase, swell and grow accordingly. The 
truth is, that every leaf of a tree is an organ attracting 
nourishment to tie plant, not only by imbibing the 
fluids of the atmosphere, but also by its perspiration 
acting as a syphon to draw a continual current of new 
supplies through every root. There is a harmony in all 
the economy of nature, and the larger and more weighty 
the top of a tree is, it is evident that it will require a 
stronger stem to support it, and when the top is cut off, 
what occasion is there for the stem to become enlarg- 
ed 2?— — — 
MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. 
Mankind are all disposed to take the shortest road 
that leads to the object of their desires, though it is fre- 
quently not the best ; and it may be expected that ma- 
ny of those who haye planted or intend to plant live 
hedges in this country, will he impatient to have them 
in perfection as soon as possible, or perhaps sooner than 
nature, assisted by all the efforts of art, has decreed 
that they should be so gratified. For the purpose of 
rendering half grown hedges fencible, many ingenious 
‘Aig, 
