Book IV. COMPOUND HEDGE-FENCES. 439 



thorns are laid upon this earth in such a manner, as that at least four inches of tJje root 

 ^nd stem shall rest upon tlio earth, and the extremity of the top shall project beyond the 

 wall. When the plants are thus regularly laid, the roots are covered with earth, and 

 the building of the wall continued upwards, filling up the space between the wall and 

 the bank gradually, as the wall advances upwards : when completed, the wall is 

 finished with a coping of sod, or stone and lime. When the plants begin to vegetate, the 

 young shoots appear in the face of the wall, rising in a perpendicular manner. 



28 II. The hedge and ditch, with roiv of trees, differs from those which have been de- 

 scribed only in having a row of trees planted in the line of the fence along with the 

 hedge. The advocates for this practice say, that, by planting rows of trees in the direc- 

 tion of the fence, the country is at once sheltered, beautified, and improved ; and that the 

 interest of the proprietor is ultimately promoted by the increasing value of the timber 

 raised in these hedge-rows. It is also said, that such trees produce more branches for 

 stack -wood, knees for ship-builders, and bark for the tanners; and they sell at a higher 

 price per load than trees grown in woods and groves. Besides, close pruning hedge-row 

 trees, to the height of twelve or fifteen feet, prevents their damaging the hedge ; the 

 shelter which they afford is favorable to the vegetation both of grass and corn ; it also 

 tends to produce an equable temperature in tlie climate, which is favorable both to the 

 l)roduction of and greater perfection and beauty in animals, and of longevity to man. 

 Though the practice of planting hedge-rows of trees is very common, tliough its advo- 

 cates are numerous, and though these arguments are urged in its favor, yet the objections 

 are also entitled to very serious consideration. When trees are planted in the line of a 

 fence, if that fence is a hedge, the plants of which it consists will not only be deprived of 

 a great part of their nourishment by the trees, but will also be greatly injured by the shade 

 they occasion, and the drop that falls from them during wet weather : upon this point 

 little reasoning is necessary ; for, if we apjjcal to facts, we shall find that no good hedge 

 is to be met with where there is a row of trees planted along with it. The mischief is 

 not, however, confined solely to hedges ; the effects are equally bad, perhaps worse, 

 where the fence is a stone wall ; for though in this case the shade or drop of the trees are 

 hardly if at all felt, yet, when they have attained a certain height, the working and 

 straining of the roots during high winds is such, that the foundations of the wall arc 

 shaken and destroyed ; accordingly, wherever large trees are found growing near stone 

 walls, the fence is cracked and shaken by every gale of wind, is perpetually falling into 

 large gaps, and costs ten times the expense to keep it in repair, that would otherwise be 

 required if no trees were near it. Admitting, however, that the trees in hedge-rows were 

 no way prejudicial to the fence, which we have already shown is by no means the case, 

 another argument may be succesfully used against the practice. It is seldom, indeed, 

 that trees planted in hedge-rows arrive at any great size ; on the contrary, they are ge- 

 nerally low and stunted : and while they occasion a visible loss by the mischief they do 

 the fence, their utmost worth, when they come to be sold, will seldom be found adequate 

 to the loss and inconvenience they have occasioned. 



2812. The hedge and ditch, or hedge and wall, with belt of planting, in exposed situa- 

 tions, is strikingly usefuland ornamental, while upon the low grounds it is not only unne- 

 cessary, but in some instances absolutely hurtful. For instanca, in deep and broad 

 valleys surrounded by hills, and sheltered from severe blasts, belts of planting are not 

 only lumecessary, but even hurtful and ruinous by the ground they occupy, which could 

 certainly be employed to greater advantage, and the original expense of inclosing and 

 planting saved. 



2813. The hedge and ditch, or wall, with the corners planted, is employed upon some 

 estates instead of the belt of planting. According to some, it has a good effect upon 

 the scenery of the country, and answers tJie purpose of general shelter extremely well : it 

 is, however, greatly inferior to the belt of planting, for the purpose of sheltering parti- 

 cular fields : but as in every field there is a space in each angle tliat cannot be ploughed, 

 by planting these spaces, which would otherwise be left waste, many valuable trees are 

 raised with little expense, and with scarce any waste of land. 



2814. Thefurze fence may ha had recourse to with advantage whenever such plants 

 are found to grow vigorously ia a soil. Fences of this sort are mostly made upon 

 mounds or banks of earth, by sowing the seed of the plant. Sometimes the bank is 

 only sloped on one side, but at others on both ; in the former case the front is per- 

 pendicuUir, and faced with turf or stone. From these fences being raised so consider- 

 ably above the common surface, they are very liable to injury from frost and other 

 causes in severe winters. 



SuBSECT. 4. Paling Fences. 



2815. Paling fences are only to be considered in a secondary light; for, of whatever wood 

 idhey are made, however substantially they may be executed, or in whatever situation they 

 are placed, their decay commences the instant they are erected. Where permanent 



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