194 S Y L V A BOOK i 



chesnut) at competent spaces, and in rows ; you open 

 a ring of ground, at about four foot distance from the 

 stem, and prick in quick-set plants ; you may after a 

 while, keep them clipp'd, at what height you please: 

 They will appear exceedingly beautiful to the eye, 

 prove a good fence, and yield useful bush, bavin, and 

 (if you maintain them unshorn) hips and haws in 

 abundance : This would therefore especially be pract- 

 is'd, where one would invite the birds. 



14. In Cornwal they secure their lands and woods, 

 with high mounds, and on them they plant acorns, 

 whose roots bind in the looser mould, and so form a 

 coronet of trees. They do likewise (and that with 

 great commendation) make hedges of our genista spi- 

 nosa., prickly furzes, of which they have a taller sort, 

 such as the French imploy for the same purpose in 

 Bretaigne, where they are incomparable husbands. 



i 5. It is to be sown (which is best) or planted of 

 the roots in a furrow : If sown, weeded till it be 

 strong ; both tonsile, and to be diligently clip'd, 

 which will render it very thick, an excellent and 

 beautiful hedge : Otherwise, permitted to grow at 

 large, 'twill yield very good faggot : It is likewise 

 admirable covert for wildfowl, and will be made to 

 grow even in moist, as well as dry places : The 

 young and tender tops of furzes, being a little bruis'd 

 and given to a lean sickly horse, will strangely recover 

 and plump him. Thus, in some places, they sow 

 in barren grounds (when they lay them down) the 

 last crop with this seed, and so let them remain 

 till they break them up again, and during that 

 interim, reap considerable advantage : Would you 

 believe (writes a worthy correspondent of mine) that 

 in Herefordshire (famous for plenty of wood) their 



