CALEB KIRK ON HEDGING. 277 



uniform hedge ; the plashings should not press one 

 upon another so much as to prevent a free and un- 

 obstructed circulation of air, and the sun's rays also, 

 as the health and vigour of the plashing is much 

 promoted thereby. If there should be too much 

 wood in the hedge, by planting too close or any oth- 

 er cause, it must be cut away, leaving no more than 

 what is really necessary to form the basis of a good 

 and lasting live fence. One of my errors was suf- 

 fering too much brushwood to be crowded into my 

 first live hedges, both living and dead ; brushwood, 

 such as was cut away in some places where too 

 thick, and filled in where too thin. In order to 

 make a present fence, I was induced to suffer it to be 

 done in this way, from the recommendation of my 

 hedger, who was from the west of England, and had 

 been in that practice ; for the immediate making a 

 fence of such materials as he had to do with, I read- 

 ily gave his judgment the preference, he having had 

 experience in the business. 



But my observations in two or three years more 

 convinced me of the impropriety of introducing dead 

 wood to fill every vacancy, as well as crowding too 

 much of that which was living. I had much of it to 

 remove in places where a want of health demonstra- 

 ted the present evil. After this was done the re- 

 maining part became more healthy, but it remains 

 thin, and never will overcome the injury. There 

 seems to be no inclination to put out shoots from 

 the old wood in those vacancies, which would have 

 put forth shoots when newly laid if no obstruction 

 had been present. 



I find it is best to trim off the branches, especially 

 the large ones, though not very close to the body of 

 the stalk. It shoots young sprouts more abundant- 

 ly from the plashing, which rise in an upright form, 

 as well as those from the stumps shooting up through 

 the plashing ; interlocks the whole together, holding 

 the plashing in their place as crossbars, and forms 



