EXPERIMENTS WITH HEDGES 



By Frank A. Waugh, Professor of Landscape Architecture 



In tlie spring of 1921 a garden of sample iicdges was planted on the col- 

 lege grounds. These hedges were intended originally merely for demonstration 

 purposes, to give the students in landscaj)e architecture and in horticulture an 

 ojiportunity to ol)scr\c the adaptability of different sjiccies to hedge culture, 

 and to get a more objective idea of methods of management. The demonstra- 

 tion proved so interesting, however, that it was extended by nuiking another 

 plantation in the spring of 1926. 



As time went on these jilantations came to take on more and more of an 

 experimental character. So much interesting information has been collected 

 that it seems proper now to make a report upon tliem. 



As a matter of fact hedges are a \cry importani ]iart of the home 

 grounds, or small village home lot. The modern tendency towards smaller 

 and smaller grounds has required more fonnality of treatment and a greater 

 effort to secure the necessary privacy for the family. In pursuit of either 

 object a good hedge is a valuable asset. 



These hedges were planted in sample rows, each 50 feet long with the 

 rows 10 feet apart. In all cases the rows were placed in an east-west direc- 

 tion, thus having the sun on one side. The soil was dry, well drained (rather 

 too well drained), and gravelly. The ground has been lightly cultivated to 

 keep down weeds, but no other special attention has been given. No fertilizers 

 have been applied nor any irrigation given. Almost any home lot anywhere 

 in New England would have conditions at least as favorable as those imder 

 which these hedges have been grown and maintained. 



The original plantation included 21 species and varieties. A few of these 

 failed or were discarded for sundry reasons, their room lieing taken by other 

 subjects. 



The second general experiment Mas begiui in the early spring of li)2(). .\t 

 this time 15 hedges were set in soil similar to tli.it wlierc the first plantings 

 were made: that is, dry, gravelly, warm .iiul well drained. Rows were set 

 east and west, but plants were ])laced more closely than in the first ])lanting, 

 from 12 to 21- inches ajiart, depending on their habit of growth. A few of 

 these si)ecies and varieties \\crc duplicates of tliose in the first jilanting, but 

 mainly they re])resented new types. 



'l"he two lots are reported together in I he rollowiiig )>.igi's, along with a 

 few other species tried out separately on other ji.irts of the college grounds. 

 It must be observed that the notes here recorded r("fcr only tn s|i('cies and 

 varieties actually tested here. It is clearly iiiHlcrstood tli.it in;iny other hardy 

 trees and shrulis are well a(l.i|)ted to the siime imrposc. 



Planting 



In the original jilanliiigs in our exiieriiiient.il garden afl hedges were 

 spaced with plants three feet ajiart in the row. 'I'iiis figure \\,is chosen ;is a 

 comi)romise and with the intent of treating all species alike, it soon a|)peared, 

 however, that for best results different .species .should not all be spaced alike; 



