80 THE EQUIPMENT OF THE FARM. 



retentive soil, partially shaded from the fierce rays of the 

 sun. The holly bears trimming well, and requires a deep 

 dry loam to mature on damp low-lying soils. It is not 

 always long-lived ; long- continued and severe frosts fre- 

 quently prove fatal to it. It also suffers much from 

 ground game, rabbits being amongst its most deadly 

 enemies. Privet is only an ornamental apology for a fence, 

 useless against the attacks of heavy stock. 



For general purposes and under all circumstances of soil 

 and climate, the haw or white thorn is unsurpassed. Its 

 natural habitat is a deep warm loam at a moderate elevation. 

 At the same time it struggles on with varying degrees of 

 success on every variety of soil, provided its roots be kept 

 free from stagnant water. It is unnecessary here to enter 

 into all the details of collecting the haws and raising the 

 young plants ; this is usually left to the care of the nursery- 

 man. On the care and attention bestowed on them chiefly 

 depends the success of the future plants. In order to en- 

 courage root-growth they should be removed and replanted 

 every year. They are ready for removing from the nursery 

 at from 3 to 5 years old. Those of the latter age are generally 

 used for filling up blanks in old hedges. When well-grown, 

 3-year old quicks are the best for forming young hedges. 



The first point to consider is the character of the soil and 

 climate, especially as to the rainfall. On undrained soils 

 in a wet district it is safest to cut a ditch, forming a mound 

 with the excavated materials. The line of fence is first 

 staked out ; the ditch is lined off, this may be from 3 feet 

 to 3 feet 6 inches at the surface, battering on both sides to 

 1 foot at the bottom. The first sod is cut about 9 inches 

 wide, and neatly turned over on the whole ground, turf side 

 downwards, leaving a clear space of 3 inches between the 



