290 Groxvth of Thorns, bV. 



gus cordata) cultivated by Mr. Main of George Town^ 

 Potomac, grows without difficulty.* 



The editor of the "Retrospect of discoveries," Lon- 

 don 1806, says "we have long ago practised the plant- 

 ing of shoots which came up plentifully from the fibres 

 of the roots left in the ground, after stocking up white 

 thorn hedges. We can also add that the best way of 

 renovating a wom-out white thorn hedge, is to bare the 

 earth, and chop off the large old stools with a sharp axe, 

 near to, or below the lower fork of the stems : each 

 one of whose roots will afterwards be found to throw- 

 up vigorous shoots, and much thicken the future 

 hedge, if the same is thoroughly protected from cattle, 

 and kept clean from weeds." These facts are highly 

 encouraging to the commencement of hedge rows, and 

 should induce the American farmer without delay to 

 begin this important work. Land thus inclosed, will 

 prove a much better fortune to the child who may 

 possess it, than if the amount of the money which 

 the work may cost, had been put out at interest for his 

 account. 



^ To those who have it not in their power to procure plants 

 of those thorns, which Mr. Main cultivates for sale, it will be 

 important to know, that by sowing the haws of the pear 

 leaved thorn, in ploughed ground in the spring, and spreading 

 gypsum and ashes on it, their vegetation will be promoted in 

 a most remarkable manner. The plants from haws thus 

 treated, in one case, grew two feet high the first year. 



