122 THE COMPLETE GARDEN 



and emphasize the main axial lines of the garden. There is a group of 

 plants from which kinds are selected for hedge purposes, and which 

 lend themselves to frequent clipping and shearing. These are most 

 often used for edgings beside formal garden walks, pools, and beds of 

 planting. The ideal hedge for this purpose is one which requires a very 

 small amount of pruning in order to maintain its close, compact habit. 

 It is therefore necessary to select plants for this purpose with a careful 

 knowledge of the natural habits of growth of the mature plants and to 

 use such plants for hedge purposes, rather than to endeavour by severe 

 pruning to adapt larger growing types to such uses. Such hedges are 

 usually maintained from six to twelve inches in height and should be 

 planted at least twelve inches away from the edge of any garden walk 

 in order to provide ample width for the hedge to spread as it matures. 



Hedges for the purpose of windbreaks and solid screens are composed 

 almost entirely of trees which are more or less compact in their habit of 

 growth and will continue to develop while planted in a crowded space. 

 Considerable good judgment should be used in locating a windbreak 

 which is likely to act as a snow trap also, because the great drift of snow 

 which accumulates behind a large windbreak may prove a nuisance in 

 the early spring by lying deeply on the ground long after the land under 

 it should be thawed out and ready to use. This drift may also break 

 down small and brittle trees and shrubs and do more damage than good. 

 For this reason, on the open prairies of the Dakotas it is often found 

 necessary to locate windbreaks as far as one hundred feet to the wind- 

 ward of the buildings or road which are to be protected, because a strip 

 approximately ten times its height is affected by a windbreak. This is 

 shown by the snow lying drifted for this distance to the leeward after a 

 heavy snowfall, accompanied by a driving wind. 



Some thirty years ago, L. H. Bailey gave the following rules for 

 planting windbreaks (Garden and Forest Vol. i, page 46). While 

 primarily intended for orchardists they are well worth considering 

 to-day by anyone who is going to do such planting on a large scale for 

 ornamental purposes. 



(i). The windbreak should not obstruct atmospheric drainage. 



(2). The windbreak should never be dense enough to force the buds on fruit trees 



in those localities which are subject to late spring frosts. 

 (3). As a rule, in localities where atmospheric drainage will not be severely checked, 



the windbreak should have a comparatively dense bottom, formed by 



undergrowth or low-branched trees. 

 (4). Native trees and shrubs are preferable for windbreaks. 



