496 Retrospective Criticism. 



. A Species of Hawthorn from South America, similar to the British Kind, 

 only an Evergreen. — If I can lay hold of it, I will certainly give it a trial ; 

 and, meantime, should be glad of information thereon from an}^ one who 

 may have fallen in with it. — Samuel Taylor. Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, Jan. 21. 

 1833. 



The Sufficiency of the Hawthorn for the Production of live Fences ; and a 

 Notice of some Exj^eriments made to ascertain if the Germination of its Seeds 

 can be artificially expedited. — Sir, Mr. Cheeks complains (Vol. VIII. 

 p. 738.) of the hawthorn as a plant ill adapted for the formation of hedges, 

 and enquires whether some other plants better suited to the purpose might 

 not be substituted in its room. The hawthorn, like most other plants, may 

 probably not grow, or at least not thrive, in certain soils and situations, 

 and under peculiar circumstances ; but, in a general way, it may be con- 

 sidered exceedingly well adapted to the purpose ; and I greatly doubt 

 •whether any other plant more universally suitable can be found. It surely 

 forms, when properly treated, a most excellent live fence *, by no means 

 " defective [as your correspondent complains] in its resistance of cattle;" 

 nor is it, under favourable circumstances, a plant of slow growth. Some 

 seedlings, which came up spontaneously in a newly made flower-border in 

 my garden in the spring of 1832, grew, in the course of the same season, 

 to the height of 7 in.. Sin., and 9 in., or more; and are now (April, 

 1833) quite strong enough to plant out as quicksets for fencing : although, 

 in the case of this being done, it would be better to transplant them in 

 January than so late in the season as the present time. One seedling, 

 indeed, in the same border, attained the height of 1 ft. 11 in. ; but this I 

 consider an extraordinary instance ; and I could scarcely have believed the 

 plant to be only of one year's growth, were I not certain that it cannot be 

 older, from the circumstance of the border itself having been formed only 

 in November, 1831 ; when the soil was entirely taken out to a consider- 

 able depth, and replaced by a fresh compost of decayed leaves, &c. It is 

 sometimes facetiously or sarcastically said, that it is time enough to think 

 of sowing your haws when the enclosure bill has passed the two houses of 

 parliament. This remark must not be taken too literally, being intended, 

 no doubt, merely as a gentle satire on surveyors and connaiissioners of en- 

 closure, on account of their occasional dilatoriness in putting in force the 

 provisions of an act of parliament, and the delays which occur in appor- 

 tioning the common lands among the respective proprietors. The great 

 drawback against raising hawthorn for fencing is, not so much the slow- 

 ness of the growth of the plant, as the length of time which the seeds lie 

 in the ground before they vegetate. The haws are to be gathered in the 

 autumn, or early part of winter; and then, as J. D. has observed 

 (Vol. VIII. p. 738.), " are buried together in a pit or burrow, where they 

 lie till the beginning of February in the second spring following." They 

 are then taken out to be sown, and some of them (not all) will come up 

 in the spring (say March or April) ; but full half or more of the haws 

 sown in February will lie in the ground even another year, not vegetating 

 till the March or April twelvemonth ; and a few are sometimes known to 

 remain another year still. So that, if a quantity of quick is required to 

 be raised by a given time, it must be thought of and provided for some 

 four or five or more years beforehand : and this is no slight tax on human 

 forecast. Occasionally, too, it may so happen that there is an almost 

 entire failure in the crop of haws, just when they are wanted : a circum- 

 stance which, of course, will protract the business, and cause another 



* " ikfespilus Oxyacantha, frutex ad sepes vivas praestantissimus." Smith, 

 in Flora Britannica, p. 530. — .7. D. 



