I04 HEDGES. 14. 



two feet above the natural level of the adjoin- 

 ing inclofure — and probably five feet above the- 

 bottom of the ditch : nor are they, there, 

 planted with their roots downward, in the man- 

 ner which nature didlates ; but with their 

 heads pointing into the ditch : and, to com- 

 plete the abfurdity of the bufinefs, the work- 

 man, in dreffing the face of the bank, fre- 

 quently draws "the back of his fpade down- 

 ward over the tops of the plants, prefling 

 them, of courfe, flat to the face, in which 

 they not unfrequently flick ! yet, he fays, he 

 thereby does no harm : and it is poffible he 

 ma^ be right ; but, to a perfon who has feen 

 any other method of proceeding, he appears 

 to be doing very wrong. 



Neverthelefs, it is furprizing to fee the pro- 

 crrefs which quick, thus planted, will fometimes 

 Hiake the firft two or three years after plant- 

 ing : and this, probably, is the falfe light by 

 which the advocates for the method are led 

 away. The top of the bank 15 loofe nuide ground^ 

 snd the upright brufli-hedge, by colleding 

 driving rains, fupplies it amply with moiflure. 

 But the fame rains not unfrequently afliil in 

 wafhing down the face of the bank, together 



with 



