138 ON TEIE PRESENT STATE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS 



at a certain period of its growth being peculiar to the county — 

 viz., when the hedge becomes overgrown, which it is sometimes 

 allowed to do to form shelter, it is laid over, and a fence about 

 the common height formed without cutting down. This is done by 

 cutting the stem two-thirds through about six inches above the 

 ground, and laying it over at an angle of about forty-five degrees. 

 Small stakes are driven into the line of fence about two feet apart 

 to keep the layer in its place. The cut which has been made 

 is sloped neatly to prevent water from lodging, and left open, so 

 as to give young shoots plenty of air. If a strong fence is required, 

 small rods are twisted in along the tops of the stakes to bind it. 

 Where an old hedge is thin, this sometimes makes a good fence, as 

 the layers fill up the thin places, but the necessity for such treat- 

 ment is the result of mismanagement at an earlier period. The 

 laying of hedges is not nearly so common now as it was. The 

 bills used for switching or trimming are heavy, and the handles 

 long ; sometimes the blade inclines backward at an angle from the 

 handle. When at work, the hedger uses both hands to hold his 

 bill, and works with his face towards the hedge. Sometimes the 

 work done is very neat ; often, however, it is of an inferior descrip- 

 tion. There are matches throughout the county for hedgers trying 

 their skill, but unfortunately in some districts these are being 

 discontinued. Dry-stone dykes are also common in the hilly dis- 

 tricts of the county. Iron fencing, too, in all the different styles, 

 is being extensively used. 



Draining. — This is an important adjunct of arboriculture; and 

 a large extent of this county being flat, were no artificial means 

 employed to convey the Abater off the land, a large tract would be 

 marshy ground and stagnant water, instead of fertile fields and 

 luxuriant crops. Even with an extensive system of drainage, the low- 

 lying districts are periodically visited by floods more or less disas- 

 trous. Last year (1872), in the month of July, we had in one district 

 11,000 acres under water, and it was calculated that damage was 

 done to crops to the extent of L. 50,000. Had the damage done 

 to plantations been included, the estimate must have been much 

 higher. Many trees of large size were killed, and many acres of 

 young plantations destroyed. What were thriving young trees 

 from 12 to 20 feet high, as well as full-grown specimens, may 

 this year be seen standing leafless. The varieties which have 

 suffered most are ash, wych, elm, and larch. These are the trees 

 we would have expected to suffer most by long exposure to water 



