HEDGING AND L v TCHING. 55 



care always to leave a small width of the living 

 bark. The branches are then laid down almost 

 horizontally, and tied to stakes, or to each other. 

 The consequence is, those branches^ instead of 

 growing, as before, to an useless height and 

 scanty at bottom, send forth a multitude of 

 snoots, which thicken the lower part of the 

 hedge; nor does the wound inflicted by the 

 nedge-hook make any material difference in the 

 growth, after the first season. 



The hedges which we have thus described, 

 when flourishing, present a beautiful appearance, 

 and add much to the rural aspect of the coun- 

 try. They are generally accompanied by a 

 ditch, the hedge alone, especially when young, 

 being insufficient to ~arn cattle. In the fox- 

 chase, or in deer hunting, of which the English 

 are remarkably fond, it often becomes necessary 

 to leap these hedges and ditches The horses 



