248 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 
English hedgerows and lane-sides, the wild roses, 
blackberries and raspberries, the trailing honey- 
suckle or woodbine, the wild clematis, beautiful 
alike as the ‘traveller’s joy’ of summer or the 
“old man’s beard’ of winter, and all the many 
lovely wild plants that make our Island fairer 
than any other country, and pleasanter to dwell 
in, despite certain drawbacks in the matter of 
climate. But, alas! where this wealth of beauty 
is greatest, the hedges are usually in the most 
neglected and least economical condition. Clean, 
well-kept hedgerows should show but a small 
proportion of ‘weeds’ of this sort, beautiful 
though they be in themselves. Weeds, however, 
are merely plants out of place; and the hedge- 
rows just happen not to be the proper place for 
such plants as ought to be cultivated in a ‘ wild 
garden.” 
In many parts of Scotland and Ireland dry- 
stone dykes are common, or the common whin 
or furze is used as a hedge plant. It is not 
really an economical hedge, and in most cases 
beech, or even birch at high altitudes, would 
probably be much preferable and cheaper in the 
end, though costing more to form, because a 
