Soil, Manures, Situation, and Enclosures. 49 



ENCLOSURES. 



The skilful cultivator, after having prepared his ground, procured 

 the best trees the country affords, carefully transplanted them, and 

 given them watchful and laborious attention for years, feels a very 

 natural desire to partake of their fruits. But this he cannot do, in 

 many places, unless his fruit-garden is protected from the rambles 

 of idle boys. It cannot be denied that our country is rather remark- 

 able for its fruit-pilferers. It is feared it will continue to be so, until 

 public opinion shall place the young man who steals a pocket-book, 

 and the depredator of fine fruit, which has cost the owner as much 

 care and labor, and which money cannot replace, on precisely the 

 same level. 



This formidable evil has deterred many from planting fruit-gar- 

 dens. The most quiet and secure protection is afforded by a good 

 thorn hedge. The English hawthorn, far to the north, will generally 

 succeed quite well for this purpose. The buckthorn is extremely 

 hardy, has a thick dense growth, and is easily raised and trans- 

 planted ; but, except on very rich soils and with good cultivation, it 

 does not form a stout barrier. The Honey Locust is also very 

 hardy, but requires more care in cutting back and thickening ; it 

 may, however, be made into an excellent hedge for a fruit-garden if 

 the most thorny plants are selected. The Osage Orange, where the 

 winters are not too severe, is best of all. It is densely armed with 

 sharp thorns, and becomes impassable. It is only hardy on dry 

 ground, or near the line of an underdrain. 



Two reasons have operated in preventing a more general and suc- 

 cessful adoption of hedges. One is the aversion so prevalent to 

 undertake anything which does not produce immediate results, 

 several years being required to make a perfect hedge. The other is 

 the almost universal notion, adopted without a moment's thought, 

 that everything in the form of a tree must grow and take care of 

 itself. Hence we see, for every good well managed hedge, at least 

 one hundred bad and neglected ones. This remark applies with 

 more force to the attempts made with the Osage Orange than with 

 any other plant ; for nothing that is ever used for hedges is more 

 sensitive under bad usage, or succeeds better if well treated, than 

 this. The privet and the buckthorn will usually present something 

 of a hedgy appearance with any kind of management ; but the 

 Osage, unless well cultivated and properly sheared, will not exhibit 



