l6 HEDGES, WINDBREAKS^ SHELTERS, ETC. 



quently, and yet give me very few seeds. Notwith- 

 standing the slight damage done by frost, I think it 

 fair to recommejid this thorn as a very good hedge 

 plant as far north as the lower counties of New York 

 state. It will work admirably also to fill in larger 

 gaps that occur in larger hedges. 



This thorn is not a native, but was introduced 

 from Germany by Parsons and company, about 1860. 

 It is grown readily from cuttings, which is the only 

 practicable method of multiplying it, owing to its shy 

 seeding. Bear in mind, however, that the pyra- 

 cantha is very thorny. It is ornamental if you do 

 not get too near it. Its place is on small farms or 

 fruit-growing homesteads, where it is desirable to 

 prevent the too free movement of fowls. It would 

 be just the thing around an exposed fruit yard. A 

 thief would never twice try to get over or through it. 

 It would not be possible to mutilate the hedge or cut 

 a passage in a hurry. 



The thorn genus has been very generally used 

 in America. Before the introduction of the maclura 

 the different members of this genus constituted 

 nearly all the hedge plants in general use. The 

 hawthorn is best known because of its reputation in 

 England. The moist climate of that country suits 

 it far better than our dry summers. The very hand- 

 some foliage is liable, with us, in common with that 

 of other thorns, to mildew and turn black soon 

 after the period of flowering. It is a very long- 

 lived plant; Loudon says that it lives to be 

 one hundred or two hundred years old. Among 

 our more common shrubs and trees it has no rival 

 in age, except perhaps the apple and pear. Of 



