96 HEDGES 



macrantha too tender, of course, for all but such districts. In the 

 south coast towns the common gorse makes a dense and very effective 

 hedge, 4 or 5 ft. high, especially useful for poor soils, but it cannot be 

 relied on as a permanency, especially if very hard clipped. 



For large rough hedges, of use for cattle shelter, the common beech 

 and hornbeam are sometimes used. They afford shelter in winter, when 

 young and when kept pruned, through their curious habit of retaining 

 their dead leaves through the dark months. For this reason they should 

 be clipped in spring just before growth recommences. 



There are a number of shrubs which may be planted to form dwarf 

 ornamental hedges, such as lavender and rosemary ; but they are shrubs 

 planted in a row and kept to a more formal shape than usual, rather than 

 hedges in the proper sense of the word. It is not necessary to enumerate 

 shrubs that may be used in this way as their suitability in habit and 

 general character is apparent enough. 



Anyone wishing to have something out of the common in hedges may 

 plant that interesting ally of the orange, sEgle sepiaria (or Citrus trifoliata, 

 as it is sometimes called). It is quite hardy, and there is nothing among 

 hardy shrubs quite so formidably armed. A hedge composed of it may 

 be seen in the Public Garden at Milan, clipped to about 4 ft. high. The 

 spines are not so big and stout as in unpruned plants. The Osage orange 

 (Madura aurantiaca\ a hardy deciduous small tree from the United 

 States, presents a formidable array of spines; it is used in its native 

 country for hedges, and is worth trying in this by lovers of the 

 curious. 



