386 On Hedges. 



a man of education, and never wrote on any subject ca- 

 pable of experiments, without fully testing his opinions 

 by practice. Mr. Neill's experience also agrees with 

 the directions of Mr. Somerville in the communications 

 to the board of agriculture, vol. 2d.*^ 



Mr. Main does indeed admit of a trimming in the 

 latter end of June, when the hedge has generally ter- 

 minated its annual growth ; but he confines this to a 

 hedge growing *' on a strong soil, when in its fifth year," 

 and when the " shoots are large and rank.^f He 

 speaks, however, of the American thorn (Crataegus cor- 

 data.) The Newcastle or cockspur thorn grows 'till 

 frost, and was not cultivated by Mr. Main. Anderson 

 and Somerville, refer only to the English white thorn. 

 Mr. Main on the whole agrees with both these authors, 

 in their directions about pruning. 



* See Appendix. 



t Memoirs Agiic. Soc, Philad. vol. 2d. Appendix, p. 32. 



