COMMON HORNBEAM. 341 



was applied, eulogizes its adaptation for topiary works, and 

 particularly mentions the Hornbeam hedges in the nursery- 

 garden of London and Wise, at Brompton ; he also adds, 

 " that admirable espalier hedge in the long middle walk 

 of the Luxembourg garden at Paris (than which there 

 is nothing more graceful) is planted of this tree, and so 

 is that cradle or close walk with that perplext canopie 

 which covers the seat in his majesty's garden at Hampton 

 Court." 



In those days, when geometric gardening so generally 

 prevailed, the Hornbeam, from its hardy nature, its pa- 

 tient endurance of the shears, the height to which it 

 could be trained, and its quick growth, was very ex- 

 tensively used ; in this style of gardening the ground was 

 divided into compartments by Hornbeam hedges and pali- 

 sades, and these again diversified by others arranged in 

 various forms, amongst which the star, the goose-foot, 

 the labyrinth, and the bosquet, were conspicuous ; but 

 as a detailed description of each of these would occupy 

 more room than our work will afford, we refer our readers 

 to the " Retired Gardener, 1 ' 1 where ample details for exe- 

 cuting works of this description will be found. 



A similar application of the Hornbeam existed, and 

 indeed still partially exists, upon the Continent. In 

 France, the Charmille, or trained Hornbeam hedge, was 

 very common, and Hunter, in his edition of Evelyn, de- 

 scribes from Agricola, a German author, the mode of 

 making a strong Hornbeam fence or hedge, by planting 

 the sets so as to form a cross, XX, and then, after scrap- 

 ing off a little of the bark of both sets where they touch 

 each other, binding them together, an operation which 

 speedily causes the two plants to unite and form an im- 

 penetrable living chevaux de /rise. 



