How to manage a Garden 



perhaps, all things considered, come next in point of 

 general desirability to brick walls, and these are hedges. 

 Here we have a fairly large variety of choice, for if we 

 resent the common and ubiquitous privet, we may like 

 the holly, or if the yew is too sombre and deathlike, we 

 have the quickthorn and the myrobalan plum; whilst if 

 utility forms a large part of our composition, we can fall 

 back on the common gooseberry, which forms a thick im- 

 penetrable hedge, and may also afford us a few small fruits. 

 Of course we can hardly expect to have large berries and 

 also a maximum of utility in the way of impenetrability. 



Whilst on the subject of hedges, a few words will prob- 

 ably be in place as to the way of forming them and their 

 general upkeep. Hedges are not formed in a day, and if 

 they are eventually to be used to fence against stock, some 

 temporary method of fencing should be put down until 

 they are of sufficient size and thickness to perform that 

 work themselves. For this purpose of protection for the 

 hedge iron railings are eminently suitable ; or posts driven 

 about fifteen feet apart and strand wire stretched tightly 

 between will also act splendidly. Protection of this kind 

 having been provided, a trench should be taken out two 

 feet wide and two feet deep. The bottom should be well 

 forked over, then a layer of half- rotten manure spread over. 

 Next put in about a foot of soil, and procure then some 

 good turfy loam to mix with the top spit. When sufficient 

 soil has been put in to fill the trench, slightly tread it over. 

 The soil that remains should be used to form a small bank, 

 as it were, on each side of the hedge, so that it can be 

 watered immediately after planting and at subsequent 



periods ; for it will surely want some assistance in that 

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