HED 



[ 409 ] 



HED 



behind the top of the hanking to hank 

 up the whole even. But in planting 

 for an outward fence, some form the 

 ditch and hank first as above, and plant 

 the sets in two rows along the top ; 

 that is, after having formed the ditch 

 and bank, then levelling the top form- 

 ing a foot of border all along a yard 

 wide; plant the sets along its middle 

 upright, in two rows a foot asunder, 

 and six inches distant in each row, 

 observing the same when intended 

 to raise a hedge at once from seed 

 sowed where you design the hedge to 

 be, sowing them along the top in drills 

 a foot asunder. Sometimes, when 

 hedges are designed for middle fences 

 to divide fields, a two-sided bank is 

 raised a yard high, and as broad at top, 

 having a slight ditch on each side ; 

 and each side of the bank is formed 

 with square spit turves from the adjoin- 

 ing ground, and the middle filled up 

 with mould from the ditches on each 

 side ; so that when finished, it forms a 

 yard- wide border all the way along the 

 top, and along the middle of which 

 plant two rows of hedge-sets or seed, 

 in drills, as before observed. But in 

 places where 110 ditch nor raised bank 

 is required, as may be the case for 

 middle hedges in the interior parts of 

 grounds, especially in gardens, then I 

 the place for the hedge being marked j 

 out on the level ground two or three j 

 feet broad, dig it along one good spade j 

 deep at least, and then plant your sets 

 of any sort in two rows, ranging along ] 

 the middle ; or if you design to sow ! 

 seeds, &c., of any sort at once, where | 

 you intend to have the hedge, sow them 

 in two drills a foot asunder the whole j 

 length. 



In respect to general culture of these : 

 sorts of hedges it must be remarked, 

 that all such as are exposed to cattle, , 

 must, as soon as planted, be fenced, j 

 either with a stake and bush hedge, : 

 with hurdles, or with rails and open j 

 paling, for four or five years, till the \ 

 hedge grows up, observing not to place j 

 the fence too close to the hedge to in- | 

 terrupt its growth. The hedge must, ; 

 also, be duly weeded while young, and : 

 this should be particularly attended to j 

 the first two rears. 



Evergreen Hedge- shrubs are Holly; 

 Yew ; Laurel ; Laurustinus ; Phillyrea ; 

 Alaternus; Bay; Furze; and Evergreen 

 Oak: but the 'holly and yew form the 

 best hedges for general use. 



Deciduous kinds. Hawthorn ; Black- 

 thorn ; Crab ; Elder; Hornbeam ; Beech ; 

 Elm; Lime-tree, and Alder are all pro- 

 per either for middling or tall hedges, 

 as they may be trained up from about 

 six or eight to fifteen or twenty feet 

 high, and the elm to double that height 

 if required. Privet is also sometimes 

 used for moderately high hedges ; and 

 for low hedges, the Eose ; Sweet-briar ; 

 Syringa ; and Berberry. 



All full trained hedges, in order to 

 preserve them in proper form, must be 

 clipped, both on the sides and top, 

 once or twice a year, but never less 

 than once; and the best time of the 

 year for this work is summer, from 

 about the middle or latter end of June 

 to the end of August, for then the 

 hedges will have made their summer 

 shoots, which should always, if pos- 

 sible, be clipped the same season 

 Avhile in leaf, and before the shoots 

 become hard, whereby you will be able 

 to perform the work more expeditiously 

 and with greater exactness, for regular 

 hedges should be cut as even as a wall 

 on the sides, and the top as straight as 

 a line; observing, after the hedge is 

 formed to its proper height and width, 

 always to cut each year's clipping 

 nearly to that of the former year, par- 

 ticularly on the sides ; for by no means 

 suffer them to grow above a foot or 

 two wide, nor suffer them to advance 

 upon you too much at top, where it is 

 designed or necessary to keep them to 

 a moderate height. But to keep hedges 

 in perfectly good order, they should be 

 clipped twice every summer ; the first 

 clipping to be about Midsummer, or 

 soon after, when they will have made 

 their summer shoots ; and as they will 

 shoot again, what may be called the 

 autumn shoot, the second clipping is 

 necessary towards the middle or latter 

 end of August, and they will not shoot 

 again that year. However, when it 

 does not suit to clip them but once in 

 the summer, the clipping should not be 

 performed until the beginning of Au- 



