LOVE THE HEDGEROWS 35 



hedgerows; then show them the likely places to 

 iind flowers. 



I wonder if you will ever love the country, and 

 especially the hedgerows, as much as I do. Hedge- 

 rows are very old-fashioned, for it was our Saxon 

 forefathers who planted the first English hedge- 

 rows. You read about the Saxons in your history 

 books at school, don't you ? One shrub (a shrub 

 is a low-growing bush or tree) which the Saxons 

 used for making hedges they called the Hedge 

 Thorn ; now we call it the Hawthorn or May. You 

 all know the May with its white scented flowers. 

 It is still used for making hedges. After the white 

 ilowers are gone red berries come in their place — 

 the red berries are called haws, and the birds love 

 to eat haws after the frost has touched them and 

 made them sweet and juicy. 



Wild Rose trees, and Brambles from which you 

 gather blackberries, are also favourites with the 

 farmers for making hedges, because they grow 

 quickly and make a good deal of new wood each 

 year. Many farmers have the hedges trimmed 

 each Spring to make them grow quickly. I 

 wonder if you could find out for me what other 

 ishrubs are growing in the hedgerows in that part 

 of the country where you spend your holiday ? 



Many of our most timid birds, too, love the 

 hedgerows, because they feel they can hide their 

 nests in them, and there bring up their families in 



I 



