HEDGEROW AND FIELD TIMBER. 559 
sidered as extremely injurious to its surroundings, although the 
shallow-running roots can hardly be spoken of as being non- 
injurious to the green sward. 
Planting and Fencing.—Whether for planting in the hedgerow 
or singly in the fields, good, strong, well-rooted specimens should 
always be used ; indeed it is well, where a home nursery is on the 
estate, to have these specially prepared by frequent transplantings 
for a few years previous to their final despatch. The nursery 
management will require both care and experience, so that trees 
with strong, fibrous roots equally distributed around the stem may 
be produced—lanky, ill- grown, and ill-rooted plants having but a 
poor chance of succeeding under the circumstances. From 6 ft. to 
10 ft. in height will be found the most suitable size for the purpose 
under consideration. The pits for their reception should be opened 
of sufficient size so as to admit the roots without cramping or 
bending, the bottom and sides being made loose and free with a 
pick. All the better if the pits have been opened for some time 
previous to planting, the winter frosts having a beneficial effect in 
pulverising the soil. This is, however, seldom convenient, as, if in 
the field, they become filled in and trampled on by cattle, while 
gaps in the fences occasioned by these cannot well remain open for 
any length of time. The better plan, at least we have found it so, 
is to open the pits, plant the trees, and have these fenced in on the 
same day,as by this method the work has never to be done a second 
time, everything being finished up as the work proceeds. In planting 
be careful to spread the roots out in an even manner around the 
stem, as by so doing the tree is not only more firmly fixed in the 
ground, but is also enabled to collect food from all quarters. 
Feneing.—This should follow up at once the work of planting, 
as, if the young trees are allowed to remain unprotected for any 
length of time, cattle and ground game not unfrequently cause 
damage from which it takes the young plant years to recover, 
Hedgerow trees under certain circumstances may not require 
fencing further than the placing of a few of the previously removed 
thorns around their stems, this being often as effective, more par- 
ticularly where the fences are of the old-fashioned type and placed 
on a mound, as the best made tree guards, Where, however, the 
fences are of the modern type, it is always preferable to have 
wooden erections placed around the trees at time of planting, 
These guards may be of any desired shape, that commonly in use 
being either circular or square, the former being preferable. They 
VOL. XI., PART III. 2P 
