204 GARDEN LABOURS WITH PLANTS. 



were cut close above the bud, the shoot would dry up beyond the bud, 

 and prevent it from developing itself. Hence, in all such cases, and 

 even sometimes in common fruit-trees, it is customary to make the 

 first cut an inch or more above the bud ; and when the shoot has 

 grown and produced two or three perfect leaves, to cut off the 

 remaining stump. This would be the best mode in every case, but 

 as it occasions double labour, the risk of its not being attended to in- 

 duces most persons to cut near to the bud at once. 



Clipping in gardening is chiefly applied to hedges, and to the edgings 

 of walks or beds, when composed of dwarf box or under shrubs. The 

 common hedge shears differ from the pruning shears in crushing the 

 shoot which is clipped on both sides of the section, and hence clipping 

 is not a desirable mode of pruning plants in general ; nor from the 

 want of mechanical power are the common hedge shears applicable to 

 any shoots, except those of one, or at most two years' growth. In 

 clipping box or other edgings which are in a straight direction, a line 

 is generally stretched close alongside the box at the height to which 

 it is to be clipped. The top of the edging is then clipped down to the 

 proper height, after which the line is taken up, and stretched along the 

 centre of the top of the edging ; and the width of the top being deter- 

 mined on, the sides are cut accordingly, leaving the edging somewhat 

 wider at the bottom than at the top. The height and width of 

 edgings vary according to the width of the walks, or beds, and the 

 taste of the gardener ; two inches wide and three inches high are ordi- 

 nary proportions; but some gardeners prefer having their edgings 

 smaller, as less likely to harbour vermin. The ordinary time, for 

 clipping edgings is the spring, before the shoots of the season are 

 made ; but many gardeners prefer waiting till the shoots have been 

 completed, and clip in June, after which the plants put out one or two 

 leaves at the points of most of the shoots, which thus obliterate the 

 marks of the shears on the other leaves. With box this appears to be 

 decidedly the best mode. Where lines of edgings are not straight, 

 they are of course clipped by the eye without the application of the 

 line ; a matter of no difficulty to an expert operator. 



Clipping hedges is generally performed by the eye, without the aid 

 of the line ; but in the case of architectural hedges in gardens laid out 

 in the geometrical style, both the line and the plummet are occasion- 

 ally resorted to, to prove the exactness of the work. Hedges are 

 generally clipped in the summer season, immediately after the growth 

 of the year has been completed. Hedges are better cut with the hedge- 

 bill than shears, as it leaves a clean cut that is soon healed. The width 

 of a hedge at the base need seldom exceed two feet in gardens ; but 

 where a strong fence is required, or where the height exceeds twelve 

 or fifteen feet, three feet in width at least will be required at the 

 base, for the closest and best clothed hedges are found to be those 

 whose section forms the sides and base of a pyramid. If the sides are 

 perpendicular, the hedge sometimes gets naked at the bottom ; but if 

 it is wider at top than at bottom, no art will prevent it from getting 

 every year more naked, till at last plashing, or otherwise securing the 



