WHITE SPRUCE HEDGE AROUND AN ENTRANCE-COURT 

 Such a hedge costs but little more than privet. It is valuable all winter and is far richer in appearance. Now is the time to arrange 



for spring planting of hedges. 



IllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllH 



THE FUNDAMENTALS OF A GOOD HEDGE 



By J. J. Levison, M. F., Forester for the City of New York 



HEDGES are generally planted for practical reasons, 

 and not for mere beauty. As a rule, they serve 

 the practical purpose of adding strength to the 

 boundary line of a lawn or garden, of securing privacy to 

 the premises surrounding the house, of screening out some 

 objectionable object or of furnishing a windbreak. Its 

 lines are thus more or less formal; but, nevertheless, 

 when properly selected and placed the hedge may be in 

 perfect keeping with the surrounding landscape effects and 

 may even add considerably to the beauty of the place. 



In deciding what kind of hedge to plant we must not 

 only consider its aesthetic effects, but also its adapta- 

 bility to the local soil and climate, and light conditions, 

 as well as its freedom from insects and disease. For 

 instance, hemlock will grow in shade and lilac will not. 

 The hawthornes are often menaced by aphis and the rust 

 of the "cedar apple"; lilacs by mildew and oyster shell 

 scale ; box by red spider, and spruce continually loses its 

 compactness at the base of its trunk. To avoid all the 

 natural pitfalls, one must thus choose carefully with antici- 

 pation of the conditions of the plant's future growth. 



The varieties of plants which may be used for hedges 

 are greater than one would ordinarily believe, if we were 

 to observe the hedges of but one vicinity. The local 

 nurseryman sometimes carries a limited variety of plants 

 and the hedges of the locality often reach just that far 

 and no further. 



Foremost among the deciduous .hedge plants come 

 the privets. The one most commonly used is the Cali- 

 fornia privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium). This is quick- 

 growing and endures extremely unfavorable soil, moisture 

 and atmospheric conditions. It is free from insect and 

 fungous pests, and its cheapness makes it desirable for 

 general use. The Japanese privet (L. ibota), Regel's 

 34 



privet (L. ibota regelinianum) and the Amur River privet 

 (L. amurense) are other desirable varieties of privets in 

 common use for hedges. The California privet, above 

 all others, however, is the one that lends itself to formal 

 shearing. Japanese barberry (Berberis thumbergii) is 

 beautiful when a low hedge is wanted. It forms a dense 

 hedge and does not need shearing like the privets. It is 

 hardy, droops beautifully and colors charmingly in the 

 fall with bright red berries persisting all winter. The 

 common barberry {Berberis vulgaris) and its purple- 

 leaved vaiiety are often used with less effect than the 

 Japanese species. 



The Japanese rose (Rosa rugosa) is very hardy under 

 all conditions and forms a compact hedge that stands 

 shearing very well. It has good foliage, beautiful flowers 

 and large, red fruit which persist until early winter. 



The hawthornes (Cratcegus) are the favorite in England 

 for hedges. Cratcegus axyacantha is the kind best adapted 

 for hedging. In this country the hawthornes are much 

 subject to fungous diseases, scale insects and borers, and 

 should consequently be used rather cautiously. 



Deutzia lemoine and deutzia gracilis are valuable hedge 

 plants which should be allowed to grow naturally, without 

 shearing. 



The Rose of Sharon (Althea) makes an excellent hedge 

 for boundaries where a screen is wanted, but its habit is 

 higher than the privet or barberry. 



A few other deciduous shrubs which can be used for 

 hedging purposes are: Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora; 

 this, of course, must be cut in every winter; the lilacs 

 make satisfactory hedges; Van Houte's spirea makes a 

 beautiful spring ornamental hedge and Aralia pentaphylla 

 is so rapid a grower and adapts itself to poor soil so readily 

 that we must not overlook it in our list of suitable plants. 



