186 Practical Forestry 



It is well to plant rather above than below the general 

 ground level, so that in trenching the soil a slight mound 

 should be raised along the intended line of fence, which will 

 not only materially assist in keeping the plants from exces- 

 sive moisture, but aid in the cleaning and general manage- 

 ment of the hedge. Where superfluous moisture is present 

 in the soil the hedge-and-ditch system is to be recommended, 

 which consists in digging out a ditch parallel with the line 

 on which it is intended to place the fence. It should be 

 3ft. deep, 5ft. wide at top, and 1 ft. at bottom, and the soil 

 removed in so doing is thrown upon that side where the 

 hedge is to be planted, thus forming a mound, or rather 

 ridge, on which the plants are to be placed. 



In wet soils such a ditch is indispensable, but, under 

 ordinary circumstances, it is to be condemned, and for the 

 simple reasons that it is expensive and rather against than 

 in favour of the free growth of the fence. 



Thorn or Quick. The best time to plant the white- 

 thorn is just after the fall of the leaf in autumn ; but the 

 operation is usually extended from that time until early 

 spring, though in the latter case perhaps with less satis- 

 factory results. 



In selecting the plants a great amount of care is necessary, 

 as also in the lifting and after-planting. Four-year-old 

 plants are best suited for hedge-formation, and they should 

 be stout of growth and well rooted. The size of the plants 

 is of more importance than the age, and those with stems 

 as thick as one's finger are to be preferred to others of greater 

 height, but lank and small of stem. Frequent transplanting 

 while in the nursery border should have been paid attention 

 to, as then the roots are bushy and fibrous and well suited 

 for planting out permanently. 



Great damage is frequently done to thorn plants by care- 

 less lifting, and, worse still, by bundling the plants in lots 

 ready for the planter. This should never be tolerated, as it 

 is quite evident that when tied up in bundles and covered 

 over with soil, the plants in the centre of each bundle get 

 dust-dry and fall a prey to the searching winds of spring. 



Plants should in all cases, where it is possible, be lifted 



