CHAPTER V. 



EVERGREEN HEDGES, 



Nothing,in our opinion, is so peculiarly attractive in a well 

 kept place, as an evergreen hedge neatly and frequently 

 trimmed; 'and nothing really injures the appearance of 

 a place more than one that is neglected and allowed to 

 grow at will. Either as an ornamental boundary, or for a 

 protective screen, no class of plants can equal those with 

 persistent or evergreen leaves. Always green and cheer- 

 ful throughout the whole year, an impassable barrier to 

 winds and storms, easily clipped, and remarkably beauti- 

 ful when properly cared for, of rapid and dense growth, 

 and comparatively free from disease, they comprise indeed 

 nearly all the requisites needed for a hedge. 



True, they cannot be formed into a defensive barrier 

 against the incursions of unruly cattle and the depreda- 

 tions of the fruit stealer ; but in beautifying our homes and 

 endeavoring to create additional attractions in their sur- 

 roundings, we desire something more than the merely 

 practical ; and we therefore insist that there can be no 

 place, however small, but what may receive an added 

 charm by the introduction of a neat evergreen hedge, such 

 as we have described. Such improvements are invariably 

 associated with good taste and refinement. 



Evergreen hedges may very properly be divided into 

 two distinct classes, which, in the planting, selection of 

 varieties, and after-management, differ very essentially 

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