62 LIVE FENCE. 



but slowly, — which I have regarded of less consequence 

 than the securing, eventually, of a well conditioned, effective 

 barrier. I have allowed the plants the unbroken season's 

 growth, under the idea of securing thereby a stronger growth 

 of the roots, and have cut them back thus severely in order 

 to get a thick and close screen at the bottom. I have de- 

 signed to let the lateral shoots grow so as to make the hedge 

 about two and a half or three feet wide on the ground, and 

 to clip the twigs, on either side, from the bottom, on a curved 

 line, to the ridge. 



The Acacia Hedge was set out, chiefly in 1863, the rest 

 the succeeding year. The plants were raised from seed sown 

 the year previous. This w^as set in a single line, the plants 

 three feet apart in the row. I consider this sufficiently near 

 for this kind of plant, as it is a strong and vigorous grower ; 

 and by the time the hedge has attained a sufficient growth 

 to serve as a fence, the lateral shoots in the line of the fence 

 will have effectually closed up the openings between the 

 plants. 



This Hedge has been treated much the same as the Buck- 

 thorn. The growth of the Acacias has not been as uniform 

 and even as of the Buckthorns. Besides the diversity prop- 

 erly due to the inequalities of the soil, some of the plants 

 have seemed much less free in their starting and growth 

 than others. Moreover, in some seasons, certain of the 

 plants have been injuriously affected by the cold of the win- 

 ter or spring, the twigs having in some instances been killed 

 back nearly to the bodies, — thus requiring, in those cases, a 

 fresh growth of shoots from the trunk, and putting them 

 back a season behind their neighbors ; and finally they have, 

 . in spots, been shaded to some extent by trees that have 

 sprung up and been suft'ered to grow, along the roadside, 

 and thereby their growth has been retarded in those places. 



As the result of my limited experience and observation, I 

 apprehend it is practicable to grow a hedge which will make 

 a good and serviceable fence, w4th either of the plants in 

 question. The Buckthorn is more slender in its growth. It 

 has, properly speaking, no thorns, but in its more advanced 

 age it puts forth hard, stiff spines, which, standing out in a 

 thick bottom growth, are calculated to deter any animal 

 from attempting to pass through the hedge. It has the ad- 

 vantage of being, so far as I have observed, perfectly hardy. 



The sharp, strong thorns of the Acacia, — one main thorn 

 and two opposite laterals, — render a hedge of this plant, when 

 of suitable growth for a fence, a truly formidable barrier ; and 

 though the acacia cannot be considered as entirely hardy, it 

 is so far hardy that with proper care in starting the hedge, 

 it may be made to answer the purpose effectually. To this 



