54 THE BOOK OF TOPIARY 



but if a strong branch should happen to get displaced 

 in any way, the use of string as a tying material should 

 be avoided and copper wire should always be sub- 

 stituted in its place. In the case of an old branch the 

 pressure is greater, and whatever material has been used 

 in the work, it will as a rule be intended to last for 

 years. For the purpose of tree tying of any description 

 copper wire is to be recommended ; it has not the 

 same injurious effect on the trees as ordinary galvanised 

 wire ; but whatever is used, cork should always be 

 placed between the wire and the wood as a preventive 

 against cutting the tree. 



When clipping an old tree that is a perfectly square 

 one, it is a good practice to use either a line or some 

 kind of straight edge. If the man who is doing the 

 work uses one or the other he can generally give the 

 tree a better and more finished appearance than if he 

 trusts to the eye only. 



Perhaps of all the different kind of shapes there are 

 to clip in the Topiary garden, hedges require the most 

 skill and care, and only the most experienced men should 

 be allowed to undertake the work of clipping them. 

 Hedges in the garden are mostly planted in such a way 

 that their entire length is visible, and of course the most 

 casual observer can see at a glance whether they are 

 properly clipped or if there are any shear marks visible 

 on them. If the hedge is composed mostly of curves, 

 then of course the clipping is not such a difficult matter. 

 A long, straight hedge and one that is almost entirely 

 made up of curves, differ in the same respect with regard 

 to the ease with which they can be clipped, exactly in 

 the same way as a round or an oval tree. When clipping 

 a straight hedge a person should never trust entirely to 

 the eye, and lines should always be used ; and for the 

 purpose nothing is better than ordinary garden lines. 



In the case of hedges that are cut into battlements 



