1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARlNIEPv. 



149 



hardy, and adapted to a £^reat variety of soils and 

 climates. It is native over a large portion of the 

 American continent, and is found in almost every 

 kind of soil and situation. Its form and normal 

 mode of growth is jyyramidal — just the proper 

 form which we wish to encourage in forming a 

 hedge. The natural tendency of the Thorn and 

 Osage Orange is to grow into fi spreading tree, 

 large at the top, and thin at the bottom — just the 

 oijposite of what we seek, when striving to dis- 

 tori them into hedges. It is a continual battle, 

 as it were, between man and nature, for the su- 

 premacy ; and just in proportion as man is ena- 

 bled to conquer, we say the plant is adapted to 

 hedging ; while if the plant is stubborn, and dies 

 or droops under the treatment, we say it will not 

 do for hedging — it is a humbug. Sometimes, as 

 in the case of the Osage Orange, it seems to 

 laugh at the efforts of man ; and, while he sleeps, 

 shoots up sturdily and fractiously, half-a-dozen 

 times in a summer, into its old tree form, utterly 

 regardless of what is going to become of the 

 hedge beneath it. 



Many of the new and foreign sorts of the Ar- 

 bor Vita; are very beautiful, but none of them 

 have been sufficiently tested to warrant a recom- 

 mendation of them for the purpose of which we 

 are speaking. The Siberian is more compact in 

 its growth than the American, and keeps its color 

 well in winter ; but it is also slower in growing, 

 and moreover is scarce and high in price. The 

 Golden Arbor Vitce, although of a beautiful color, 

 is, unfortunately, not quite hardy. 



The accompanying engraving is an accurate 

 drawing of a section of a screen, six years from 

 setting, in the grounds of H. E. Hooker & Co., 

 Rochester, N. Y., now about four and a half feet 

 high, perfectly smooth and dense, and an object of 



American Arbor Vitae Hedge. 



admiration to every one. On the same grounds is 

 another hedge about three feet high, set out three 

 years ago last spring, in length about 800 feet, 

 in which only three plants were lost of the entire 

 planting, and even these have never been replaced. 



To give an idea of the method of forming and 

 cultivating such a hedge is the object of this ar- 

 ticle. Attention to a few simple particulars will 

 in a short time yield abundant satisfaction, and 

 allow very few chances of failure. 



In preparing to plant, have the ground deep, 

 and dry, and mellow — not too much enriched with 

 manure. Calculate for a border on either side 



of, say, four feet, which is to be kept clean per- 

 manently ; and if the soil is mellow and rich, this 

 forms a beautiful situation for the cultivation of ■>* 

 low flowering plants, which appear to very pretty 

 advantage in contrast with the deep green back- 

 ground of the Arbor Vita). Dwarf-growing roses 

 — especially of shades of red — are very beautiful 

 in such a contrast. Many other flowering plants 

 will suggest themselves to every one. 



After preparing the ground — which is always 

 the first thing to be attended to in projecting a 

 plantation of any kind — a very important point 

 is choosing the proper kind of plants. If taken 

 from the woods and planted without further edu- 

 cation into the hedge row, probably not more 

 than every other one would live, and of these 

 one-half more would so far fall behind the rest 

 in health and vigor as to make the entire plant- 

 ing a failure. If, then, you are to rely upon the 

 woods and fields for a stock of plants, choose 

 those as uniform in size as possible, not more 

 than one foot in height, and well furnished with 

 branches. Set them out in rows in well prepared 

 ground, so that they may be cultivated and kept 

 clean. In two years, the majority of them will 

 have become handsome, stocky plants ; and, when 

 taken up, Avill be found to have a mass of fine 

 fibrous roots, rendering them sure to live, and well 

 adapted to thrive in their future resting-places. 



However, these two years of time and labor 

 may be saved ; for plants like those described 

 may generally be obtained at the nurseries very 

 cheaply. And as a row of such plants becomes 

 an object of beauty from the very commence- 

 ment, we may consider that it is money well 

 expended. In short, nothing, in all the opera- 

 tions of horticulture, yields so sure and quick 

 returns as this. 



Evergreens should always be 

 set in the spring. When the 

 plants are received and unpacked, 

 carefully separate and spread open 

 the roots : cut ofi" all broken por- 

 tions, lay them in the ground until 

 ready to plant out, and by all 

 means avoid contact with wind 

 and sun. Puddle the roots in a 

 mixture of water and clay, with 

 a little decayed manure ; then 

 plant immediately by a line, tak- 

 ing care not to crowd the roots, 

 but spread them out evenly ; cover 

 them with fine earth, and press 

 the ground firmly about the plant. 

 It is well to mulch the ground 

 with coarse manure, but it is not 

 necessary — always supposing the 

 border to be kept well cultivated. 

 The proper distance for planting is about one 

 foot apart. Nothing is gained by having more 

 than a single row of plants. 



The after culture is exceedingly simple and 

 easily remembered. During the first year the 

 plants need nothing but to be kept clean — occa- 

 sionally, perhaps, cutting off a straggling shoot. 

 The second spring from setting, stretch a line 

 firmly and evenly across the top of the plants, 

 and cut off all shoots appearing above the line. 

 Stretch the line again on either side, at the base 

 of the plants, and trim up to it. Thus we have 

 the bottom or base, and the apex of the hedge 



