324 KALM'S ENGLAND. 



The cutting down of these living hedges and the 

 erection of the dead hedges in their place was commonly 

 effected in October and November, in the autumn, and in 

 January, February and March, and at the beginning 

 of April, in the spring, only with this difference that the 

 young hedges were cut down in the autumn, but the old 

 in the spring, which experienced economists had found 

 to be best. 



In the hedges there stood here and there large trees, 

 such as beeches, ashes, elms, limes, &c, which were an 

 ornament around the arable fields ; but the large leaf- 

 trees are said, however, to have the disadvantage that 

 they by their dripping when rainy weather set in, as it 

 were [T. I. p. 321] killed the hedges which stood under 

 them, besides drawing considerable nourishment from 

 the arable fields close beside them. 



The height of these dead fences was, as has been said, 

 commonly 4 feet ; but it was also lower in some places, 

 where they had only sheep and no large cattle. 



The reason why the trees were cut little more than 

 half through, near the roots, and afterwards bent down, 

 was in addition to what has been given above, partly that 

 the dead hedge might be steadier, partly that young 

 shoots should shoot up where a long-sloping incision was 

 made in the tree so bent. 



The hedges here consisted of different trees, such as 

 hawthorn, sloe, dogrose, blackberry-bushes, willow, ash, 

 elm, maple, beech, holly, oak, etc., among which the 

 hawthorn formed the most part, and next to that the 

 sloe. This last was an arrant rogue at creeping under 

 the earth with its roots, so that it was not long among 

 the others in the hedge before it came creeping from them 

 forward out into the fields. Here it so pulled the wool 

 from the backs of the sheep, which sought for the fine 

 grass under it, that large locks of wool remained every- 



