92 



An intelligent and competent judge informs us that the Arbor 

 VitjB ranks first and foremost " where the intention is to have a 

 thick, high and beautifully ornamented hedge, — its rapid growth 

 and compact, flat stems being well calculated for this purpose." 



Such a hedge " would shelter a garden from cold Westerly or 

 North-westerly winds ; or serve for a general enclosure to small 

 lots. But I consider the buckthorn best suited to our Eastern 

 Massachusetts climate. It can be cut, without injury, into any 

 requisite sha[)e and grows impenetrable from its numerous twiggy 

 branches." He then refers to several hedges of this sort, of which 

 the writer has had a distinct recollection from his early years — the 

 beauty and usefulness of which can hardly be surpassed. '" But," 

 he continues, " hedges must have as constant attention as a house 

 or a good board fence. It will not do to plant and then neglect 

 them. I have seen the Red Cedar used for hedges, and it an- 

 swers well, especially on poor, thin or rocky soil. 



" The Osage Orange is considered a failure near Boston. A cold 

 ■^vinter, now and then, kills it too much. 



" The American Hawthorns are excellent hedge plants, far better 

 than the English. (Crategus Oxycantha ) They are stout, 

 spring hardy and are handsome in- fruit, flower and leaf. 



" The Hemlock(Abies Canadensis)would make good hedges. It 

 bears the knife well and grows to an almost interminable age, but 

 its growth is slow. 



'■ The three thorned Acacia (Gleditsia triacanthos) is sometimes 

 used and woe be to man or beast that should attempt to break 

 through a good hedge of this tree.* There are also the Beech — 

 an admirable tree, bearing the pruning knife, hardy and strong — 

 having lateral growth enough, — and the Sour Gum Tupelo, or 

 Peperidge, (Nyssa) which is a dwarf lateral growing bushy tree."f 



We have also seen an account of a remarkable hedge which has 

 stood twenty-six years without exhibiting any signs of decay. 

 This is of the Pyracantha or evergreen thorn, (Crategus pyracan- 

 tha.) " It is highly ornamental and beautiful even in winter. 

 The plants have a vigorous growth, fresh and lively in appearance, 

 are very close and thick, quite to the ground, broad and flat at 



* Downint^, in his Rural Essays, speaks of this tree as "liable to become too 

 thin at the bottom, to servo well for an outer inclosure, but if kejjt well trimmed, 

 it forms a capital farm fence and protection against the larger animals, growing 

 up in much less time than tlie liawthorn. In strong, rich soils it grows very vigor- 

 ously and is easily propagated from seeds." 



t i)owning says of this tree, " its leaves are oval, smooth and have a beautiful 

 gloss on tlun^ upper surface. The brandies diverge from the main trunk almost 

 horizontally and sometimes even bend downwards like those of some of the Pine 

 family, which gives the tree a very marked and picturesque character. We con- 

 sider it a very tine tree, both on account of its beautiful, dark green and lustrous 

 foliage, and the brilliant, Hery color which it takes when the frost touches it in au- 

 tumn." 



