FENCES AND HEDGES 



225 



A B 



62. Sections of hedge 



be trenched and manured and the plants 



carefully lined up. The spacing will vary with 



the subject, and the nurseryman will always 



advise on this point. The training of a hedge 



involves periodical trim- 



ming. In the first instance 



this should be directed to 



encouraging the lower 



growth, without which the 



hedge can never be an 



efficient barrier, and might 



develop into an eyesore. 



The best method is to trim to a wedge shape, 



tapering from bottom to top on both sides 



equally, and to leave the top quite sharp. 



The width at bottom, for a hedge which is 

 eventually to be restricted to five feet in height, 

 need not exceed two feet. The tops of the 

 plants should not be touched until they reach 

 the prescribed height. 



Fig. 62 A shows the section to be worked to 

 in the first instance. When the bottom is well 

 filled in with growth, and the plants have 

 obtained the maximum height, or have sprung 

 above it, the top may be cut to a uniform height, 

 and dressed flat as in Fig. 62 B, or rounded 



