HEDGES. 287 



* habits through the negligence of their owners. Fences 

 that are half down or which will easily fall by the rubbing 

 of cattle, will soon teach them to jump, and throw down 

 such as they are unable to overleap. For the same reason, 

 gates are better than bars. When the last are used, they 

 should be let down so near the ground that every animal 

 can step over conveniently ; nor should they be hurried over 

 so fast as to induce any animal to jump. In driving a flock 

 of sheep through them, the lower bars ought to be taken 

 entirely out, or they be allowed to go over the bars in single 

 file. Animals will seldom become jumpers except through 

 their owner's fault, or from some bad example set them by 

 unruly associates ; and unless the fences be perfectly secure, 

 such ought to be stalled till they can be disposed of. The 

 farmer will find that no animal will repay him the trouble 

 and cost of expensive fences and ruined crops. 



HEDGES. 



These have, from time immemorial, been used in Great 

 Britain and some parts of the European continent, but are 

 now growing unpopular with utilitarian agriculturists. 

 They occupy a great deal of ground, and harbor much ver- 

 min. A few only have been introduced in this country, and 

 they will probably never become favorites among us. For 

 those disposed to try them as a matter of taste or fancy, I 

 enumerate as best suited to this object, the English haw- 

 thorn, beautiful and hardy ; the holly, with an evergreen 

 handsomely variegated with yellow spots, and armed at the 

 edges with short stiff thorns ; the gorse or furze, a prickly 

 shrub growing to the height of five feet or more and bearing 

 a yellow blossom. These are much cultivated in Europe 

 as defences against the inroads of animals ; while numerous 

 other less formidable shrubs, like the willow and privet are 

 grown for protection against winds ; and when sufficiently 

 large and strong, they also serve for cattle enclosures. 



Buckthorn Hedge (Fro. 64). 



In America the buckthorn was first introduced by Mr. 



