No. 3. 



JlrUjicial Divisions of the Farm. 



11 



plants are set out in tlie spring the better." — 

 Farmer's Guide. 



" Col. Taylor's method of planting the 

 Cedar Hedge. — From December to the mid- 

 dle of March, the smallest plants are to be 

 taken up in a sod of a square, conformable to 

 tlie size of the spade used, as deep as possible, 

 which sod is to be deposited unbroken m a 

 hole as deep, made by a similar spade, the 

 earth being used to fill up the crevices be- 

 tween the sod and ihe hole for its reception. 

 I plant these cedars on the out aiid inside of 

 a straight fence, on the ridge of a ditch, the 

 plants in each row being two feet apart, both 

 in tlie direction of and across this ridge, but 

 so that the plants on one side of the fence will 

 be opposite to the centre of the vacancies 

 between those on the other. They should be 

 topped at a foot high, and not suffered to gain 

 more than four inches yearly in height, such 

 boutJfhs or branches excepted, as can be work- 

 ed into the fence at the ground. Of these 

 great use may be made in thickening the 

 hedge, by bending them to the ground and 

 covering them well with earth in the middle, 

 leaving them growing to the stem and their 

 extremities exposed — thus they invariably 

 take root, and fill up gaps. If properly cul- 

 tivated, and the land is strong, they will form 

 an elegant live ever-green fence, in a shorter 

 time than is necessary to raise a thorn fence 

 in England by the book. — Taylor's Aralor, 

 third ed. page 174. Several years after the 

 above was written and published, Mr. Taylor 

 says, in a note on the subject — ' My experi- 

 ments in cedar-hedging have become two or 

 three years older, and have removed every 

 doubt of its cheapness, practicability and im- 

 portance.' " 



When speaking of live-hedge, the English 

 thorn, hawthorn, or as it is sometimes called 

 quick, is generally understood. We have 

 already adverted to its introduction in this 

 country, and can only refer in brief terms to 

 its management. A proper choice of plants 

 is of vast importance. The hawthorn is 

 readily produced from the seeds of its fruits ; 

 is best raised in the nursery, and in two years 

 transplanted from the seed bed, in the line of 

 the fence. The preparation of the soil is a 

 point of the first importance ; as it will con- 

 stitute in many cases the difference between 

 success and failure. The ground on the line 

 of the fence should undergo a complete pre- 

 paration by deep and effectual ploughing, or 

 trenching with the spade, and by a thorough 

 manuring. Where a quantity of vegeta- 

 ble matter is present in the soil, lime may 

 be used — but where the soil is poor, both lime 

 and dung should be applied. 



" The line of fence being determined, it is 

 laid off by means of poles, like the ridges of 

 a field, and marked upon the ground. The 



line of the side of the ditch along which the 

 thorns are to be set being marked out by the 

 rod and line, and notched by the spade, 

 the workman takes ofl' a part of tiie earth from 

 the surface of the intended ditch and lays it 

 along the fiiture line of thorn, about si.x 

 inches back of the notched line. This forms 

 what is called a scarcement. lie then beats 

 down the earth or rods thus laid with his 

 spade, so that the outer surface shall be in 

 the line of the future mound, sloping a little 

 backward. It is upon the row of earth or 

 rods thus placed, technically called the thorn- 

 bed, that the thorns to be planted are laid. 

 A further portion of the surface of the ditch 

 is then stripped off and thrown behind the 

 thorn-bed. The plants, the stems of which 

 are generally eight inches high, exclusive of 

 the root, are to be placed firmly upon the 

 thorn-bed, so that, when the mound is made, 

 they may project a very little beyond the sur- 

 face, or rather just reach it. The distance at 

 which they may be planted from one another 

 is about eight inches, while one or more per- 

 sons are engaged in laying the thorns, an- 

 other is to shovel up from the ditch the loose 

 mould immediately next the surface, and 

 place it upon the stems of the plants. This 

 earth being compressed by the foot, the plants 

 will be firmly fixed in their position. TJie 

 ditch is cleared out to its full deptli, and the 

 earth thrown upon the bank. The mound is 

 then to be rounded at the top, and beat all 

 around by the shovel ; and this process com- 

 pletes the formation of the hedge and ditch. 

 The ditch should be narrowed to a spade's 

 breadth at bottom, and so laid out as to 

 permit the regular descent of water. Tlie 

 sides may be made to slope at an angle of 45°. 

 The proper time for planting is from October 

 to the beginning of March, or while vegeta- 

 tion is inert." — Professor Low's Elements. 



In the after-culture of the hedge, which 

 must be rigidly attended to, for the first four 

 or five years especially, the application of new 

 and rich earth to the roots, thorough weeding' 

 and loosing tlie earth of the mound, which is 

 apt to become baked and hard, must not be 

 overlooked — neglect in this case would prove 

 fatal. Obstructions should also, whenever 

 they present themselves, be immediately re- 

 moved, so that the passage of water may not 

 be interrupted. The value and beauty of the 

 hedge, depends in a great degree upon the 

 management of it while in its young and 

 tender state. The greatest possible care and 

 judgment is to be exercised in pruning. — . 

 Loudon says, that from the first year of plant- 

 ing, till the hedge has risen to five or six feet in 

 height, the main stems ought to be left untouch- 

 ed, and the pruning confined solely to the side 

 branches, leaving those next the root pretty 

 long, and gradually tapering towards the top, 



