INTRODUCTION 



A book on hedges, live fences, windbreaks and 

 shelters is called for, and I shall respond to the call, 

 with the intention of preparing a compact handbook, 

 that will be of specific use to the largely increasing 

 class of people who appreciate the fact that country 

 life is, or may be, the ideal life. Live fences are of 

 much less importance in the United States since the 

 very general passage of stock laws and their nearly 

 universal enforcement. We do not any longer have 

 to build fences against all the world, but only to see 

 that our own stock commits no trespass. For this 

 purpose wire will be chosen generally where there 

 are ranches or large pastures, while lumber sections 

 will still use board fences. There is, however, suffi- 

 cient use of live fences to make it necessary to take 

 the subject under consideration. The subject of 

 windbreaks, on the contrary, is growing greatly in 

 importance. The people are waking up to the neces- 

 sity of an almost universal use of such protections 

 against the drying effect of winds and the breaking 

 force of storms. Ornamental hedges are also grow- 

 ing in favor because of their peculiar effectiveness in 

 producing variety in landscape besides they always, 

 more or less, are serviceable as windbreaks. The 

 uses to which a hedge may be put are ( I ) as fence, 

 (2) ornament, (3) windbreak, (4) to equalize mois- 

 ture and temperature, (5) to furnish bird food. 



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