PLANTING 229 



Hedges are some years coming to perfection, 

 but are interesting far sooner than is generally 

 imagined, and in ground properly prepared a 

 yew hedge started between 2 and 2| ft. will be 

 impenetrable in five years. Privet and laurel 

 would be effective in less time. 



It is a mistake to start hedge plants too large, 

 and indeed this observation applies to planting in 

 general. Trees and shrubs whose root and branch 

 systems are much developed, receive such a shock 

 when the roots are injured by transplanting, that 

 by the time they have recovered and settled into 

 normal growth again, younger trees would have 

 caught them up. There is nothing more disap- 

 pointing than to struggle with a hedge and have 

 it finally go off after two or three years of atten- 

 tion, when all the time has been utterly wasted. 



In the effort to readjust themselves after a 

 shift the injury to roots is balanced by loss of 

 foliage, and the lower placed foliage suffers most. 

 As the bottom of a hedge is always the most 

 difficult part to keep solid, this is a real misfortune, 

 and frequently the top has to be severely cut 

 back to force fresh growth from the base. Then 

 the owner wishes he had bought the hedge at that 

 size, and saved time and money. I do not recom- 

 mend severe pruning of evergreen hedges while 

 young. All growth extending beyond the limit 

 sideways should be taken off, and any unduly 

 prominent leaders shortened, but otherwise I 



