HEDGE PLANTS. 131 



nearly off close to the ground and laid down at an angle of 

 thirty degrees from the ground. Trim once a year in July, 

 and do noc allow the hedge to exceed twenty inches broad. 

 The fourth year in the spring, before the buds start, take oft' 

 about one-half the last year's growth. Leave the lower 

 branches a little longer than the top, and aim to give the 

 hedge some regular uniform shape. The hedge should be 

 allowed to gain from eight to twelve inches annually, until 

 it has reached the desired height. 



To Preserve Plants during the Winter. Cut a trench 

 in a dry piece of ground at an angle of forty-five degrees, 

 place the bundles in the trench, and cover with dirt from a 

 new trench from six to eight inches in front, and so continue 

 until all are trenched. Cover the plants two inches deep, 

 firmly packing the ground around them. After the ground 

 is frozen two inches deep, cover the whole with straw from 

 twelve to eighteen inches ; after which cover the whole bed 

 with dirt about a foot thick. Encircle with a ditch so that 

 no water can reach the plants. Plants can also be kept in a 

 cellar, well covered in sand, but be careful not to expose to 

 the sun or dry wind, in setting in the spring. 



Setting Evergreens. Cultivate and set as before, but the 

 ground should not be manured within six months of setting 

 the plants. Chip-dirt or rotten leaves are preferable for a 

 mulch. 



Hedge Plants. Osage Orange. The Osage Orange 

 stands at the head of the list of hedge plants. It is much 



