About Hedges and Border Plants 53 



How TO PLANT A HEDGE. The preparation of the ground is of 

 great importance and worth time. We believe in digging over 

 a trench two feet ivide and two feet deep and having the contents 

 thoroughly well pulverised. If the ground is really poor, the 

 addition of 5 Ibs. of Bone Dust to every 10 feet will be of benefit 

 to the plants. On no account use kraal or stable manure, and 

 where the land is good it is unnecessary to use manure of any 

 kind. In trenching, leave the subsoil where you found it at 

 the bottom so that the feeding roots will have the best soil to 

 start with. When the trench is dug the soil should be filled in 

 again, and firmed down well. The distance to allow between 

 the plants depends largely upon the type of tree which is going 

 in. Some of the spreading Cypresses will be right at 18 inches 

 apart, but for the more upright growers it is best to plant a foot 

 or 15 inches apart. All species should be planted at the same 

 depth as they were in the Nursery tins or lines. 



COMPACTNESS FULLNESS. This is the point to be aimed at. 

 To get this is largely a question of time and careful trimming. 

 But the first necessity is to carefully choose the right plants. 

 Needling plants, or rooted cuttings, will vary somewhat in 

 quality when you have grown them, or when you get them from 

 the nursery. It may be necessary, in order to get an equal stand, 

 of equal strength and vigour, to discard some as quite useless. 

 If one or two plants are smaller than the rest of the line at the 

 beginning they will never catch up. They are what we call 

 dominated by the larger ones, robbed of light and food by the 

 more vigorous plants they are unfit. It is far best to discard 

 them, throw them away, and plant only those of equal height 

 and strength. 



PUT IN SMALLER PLANTS. Those which have been transplanted 

 several times, or which have been moved from tin to tin, have 

 probably sustained some loss of vigour, or have lost some of 

 their lower branches. The smaller plants in good ground and 

 with care, will always make the best fence eventually. 



PRUNE BACK RIGHT WAY. It seems hard to cut away the 

 young vigorous top growth of any tree, we know. But remem- 

 ber that is necessary for your hedge to be full at the ~base. This 

 fullness can only be made by trimming immediately the hedge 

 is put In and keeping this up until you are satisfied that a good 

 foundation is laid broad and compact. Once this base is made 

 the hedge is safe. 



THE SHAPE OF A HEDGE should be the shape of a naturally 

 grown tree, broad at the base and gradually narrowing toward 

 the top. A square hedge is hideous, and a round hedge is very 

 little better. Hedges should not be trimmed too closely. A little 

 irregularity is quite a natural and beautiful thing. 



