44 



KEEPING HEDGES. 



One of the principal objections urged against the employment of live 

 fences or hedges is the cost of keeping them in efficient repair, for it 

 admits of no qualification that unless they receive proper attention 

 they will prove to be of but little value as a fence against live stock. 



Unfortunately, our best hedge plants so far are of strong growth, es- 

 pecially when young, and consequently require to be trimmed two or 

 three times during the summer, at least for several years after plant- 

 ing, and this at a time when farm crops demand attention, so that in a 

 vast number of cases the hedge is neglected and soon ceases to be serv- 

 iceable. The best hedge plant is one that could be kept by winter 

 trimming only, because in that season of comparative leisure it would 

 probably receive attention, but with such strong growing plants as the 

 osage orange and honey locust, our two popular hedge plants, it is 

 impracticable to produce a close fence without frequent summer trim- 

 mings. There is one thing, however, which should be put to their 

 credit, that after a few years the growth will be less profuse; the weak- 

 ening effect of continued summer pruning ultimately weakens the 

 plants, so that they become easier managed. This also prevents them 

 from sending out their roots to a great distance, so that they do not in- 

 terfere with cultivated crops, an evil which soon becomes visible when 

 a hedge is neglected and allowed to take care of itself. When a hedge 

 gets into a condition that one summer trimming and one winter trim- 

 ming will keep it in fairly good condition, the labor and cost is re- 

 duced to a minimum. It will also have a tendency to retard the ex- 

 uberance of early summer growth, if the winter trimming is delayed 

 until after the buds begin to push in spring. This will make a differ- 

 ence of several weeks in regard to summer trimming, and will prove of 

 some importance when summer pruning is confined to one operation. 



The weakest part of a hedge is always nearest the ground. The cri- 

 terion of a well-kept hedge is that of thickness at the bottom ; this 

 should also be its widest part, and it should taper upwards to a point. 

 Unless this form is strictly maintained, the lower branches will grad- 

 ually weaken and ultimately die out, leaving gaps which are not easily 

 closed. Hedges which become weak and full of gaps through neglect 

 may be renewed by cutting them down in early winter to within 18 

 inches or so from the ground ; the plants will then branch out vigor- 

 ously, and, by proper pruning, soon be all that need be desired as a 

 fence. 



CULTIVATION. 



The great aim of all thorough cultivators is to maintain a continued 

 healthy and vigorous growth from the period the seed vegetates until 

 the plant reaches its maturity. The word " cultivation " may be defined 

 as a term whereby we recognize those operations necessary to maintain 



