AMERICAN GARDENER. 07 



43. In both cases the plants must be cut down 

 almost close to the ground. If you plant in the 

 fall, cut them down as soon as the frost is out of 

 the ground in the spring, and before the buds be- 

 gin to swell ; and, if you plant in the spring, cut 

 down as soon as you have planted. This opera- 

 tion is of indispensable necessity ; for, without it 

 you will have no hedge. This cutting down to 

 within half an inch of the ground will cause the 

 plants to send out shoots that will, in good 

 ground, mount up to the length of three or four 

 feet, during the summer. But, you must keep 

 the ground between them and all about them very 

 clean and frequently hoed ; for the quick-sets 

 love good culture as well as other plants. 



44. Some people cut down again the next 

 sjiring ; but, this is not the best way. Let the 

 plants stand two summers and three winters, and 

 cut them all close down to the ground as you can 

 in the spring, and the shoots will come out so 

 thick and so strong, that you need never cut down 

 any more. 



45. But, you must, this year, begin to clip. 

 At Midsummer, or rather, about the middle of 

 July, you must clip off the top a little and the 

 sides near the top, leaving the bottom not much 

 clipped ; so that the side of the hedge may slo/ie 

 like the sideofz/iyramid. The hedge will shoot 

 again immediately, and will have shoots six inches 

 long, perhaps, by October. Then, before win~2 

 ter, you must clip it again, leaving some part of 

 the new shoots, that is to say, not cutting down to 

 your last cut, but keeping the side always in a 

 pyramidical slope, so that the hedge may always 

 be wide at bottom and sharp at the top. And 



