THE NURSERY. [MARCH. 



Crab and Afifile Hedges. 



The common wild thorny crab will make an excellent ground, or 

 ditch hedge, and will thrive in a poorer soil than the thorn ; and 

 hedges raised from the pippins of apples, do tolerably well and form 

 strong fences ; the former is raised from the pippins, and the latter 

 can be propagated in abundance by sowing the pumice, "very thick) 

 immediately after being pressed for cyder, on a bed of good 

 ground properly prepared, and covering the whole with fine light 

 earth, near an inch deep, a few plants will appear soon after sow- 

 ing, but a great crop will come up in spring, which may afterwards 

 be used for stocks to graft on, and also for hedges, where more suit- 

 able kinds cannot be had. 



Hornbeam and Beech Hedges. 



Our indigenous kinds of hornbeam and beech, will make admira- 

 ble hedges ; the seed of the former, which it produces here in great 

 abundance, will require the same preparation and management in 

 every respect, as directed for haws in page 144, &c. 



In Westphalia and other parts of Germany, the hornbeam is in 

 great repute for hedges. The German husbandman throws up a 

 parapet of earth, with a ditch on each side, and plants his sets, 

 raised from layers, in such a manner, that every two plants intersect 

 each other ; there he cuts off the bark and a little of the wood from 

 each, and binds them close together with a hay-band. The plants 

 unite, and form a living palisado, which being pruned or dressed 

 annually with discretion, will in a few years make an impenetrable 

 fence. Most other kinds may be treated in the same manner. 



The seeds or mast, as they are commonly called, of the beech, 

 may be sown as soon as ripe, but as the ground mice, squirrels, 

 Scc.are extremely fond of them, it will be the better way to preserve 

 them in dry sand till March, to be then sown, either in drills, or 

 broad cast in beds, covering them not more than half an inch deep ; 

 for, as they rise with very broad seed-leaves, they could never work 

 up through a thick covering. The beech vegetates the first spring 

 after the perfection of its seed ; the hornbeam not till the second. 



Honey-Locust and Rim Hedges. 



The Gleditsia triacanthos, or honey-locust, will make very good 

 hedges ; the seeds are to be sown in March, and covered half an 

 inch deep, they will- come up freely, and when a year old, may* be 

 transplanted into nursery rows, till of sufficient size to plant. If to 

 be planted in the face of ditches, they will in the second year be in 

 prime condition for that purpose. 



The elm makes a good hedge, and is propagated by seed, suckers,, 

 or layers ; when by seed, it should be sown as soon as ripe, which 

 in the middle states, is between the 15th and 20th of May ; it may 

 be sought for and collected at that time, dried for four or five days. 



