Oti Hedging, 25 



the frost, or the alternate freezing and thawing of the soil 

 in the winter months, a circumstance very common in 

 tlie middle states of the union. It is not safe, however, 

 to place leaves or litter for this purpose along the sides 

 of young hedges, as these afford shelter for ground 

 squirrels and mice, which are apt to gnaw the tender 

 roots of the hawthorn, either for food or pass-time. 



After a hedge is planted, if the tops appear consider- 

 ably unequal, it willr be proper to give it a slight trim- 

 ming with the shears, clipping off just so much as to 

 render it evenly. Or if the plants appear disproportion- 

 ately tall and slender, they may then be shortened equal- 

 ly, so far as may appear to be necessary to prevent their 

 being violently agitated by the winds, or bent down- 

 ward by the weight of the snow in winter. 



SUPPLY OF VACANCIES. 



This is a most important part of the art ; for if the 

 generality of a hedge be ever so strong, yet if there 

 are gaps left here and there, it would be equally as bad 

 as if a post and rail fence should be deficient in several 

 of the pannels. These gaps or vacancies in hedging 

 can never be so effectually remedied, as when the hedge 

 \s young. Such hedges as are planted immediately af- 

 ter the fall of the leaf, are to be carefully examined at 

 the return of spring, or the first open weather that may 

 ensue after severe frosts, to see that none of the plants 

 have been heaved up thereby, and if so, they are to be 

 fastened down by pressing round about them with the 

 foot, and if any of them have accidently been destroy- 

 ed or cut off near the surface, they are to be replaced 



d * 



