248 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



English hedgerows and lane-sides, the wild roses, 

 blackberries and raspberries, the trailing honey- 

 suckle or woodbine, the wild clematis, beautiful 

 alike as the * traveller's joy ' of summer or the 

 ' old man's beard ' of winter, and all the many 

 lovely wild plants that make our Island fairer 

 than any other country, and pleasanter to dwell 

 in, despite certain drawbacks in the matter of 

 climate. But, alas ! where this wealth of beauty 

 is greatest, the hedges are usually in the most 

 neglected and least economical condition. Clean, 

 well-kept hedgerows should show but a small 

 proportion of * weeds ' of this sort, beautiful 

 though they be in themselves. Weeds, however, 

 are merely plants out of place ; and the hedge- 

 rows just happen not to be the proper place for 

 such plants as ought to be cultivated in a 'wild 

 garden.' 



In many parts of Scotland and Ireland dry- 

 stone dykes are common, or the common whin 

 or furze is used as a hedge plant. It is not 

 really an economical hedge, and in most cases 

 beech, or even birch at high altitudes, would 

 probably be much preferable and cheaper in the 

 end, though costing more to form, because a 



