together — ^about four to twelve inches apart — ^while for 

 the shrubbery border they are put from two to three 

 feet apart. Many beginners make the mistake of let- 

 ting the hedge grow to the height desired before they 

 begin to prune. To obtain a good "face" and to a hedge 

 that is well filled out down to the ground, pruning should 

 begin at once. Cut back severely when the plants are 

 set, to induce a thick growth of low branches; and head 

 in once or twice each year until the plants begin to 

 attain their normal size, when they should be sheared 

 semi-annually, or oftener. In some cases a formal hedge 

 is not desired. Barberry, for instance, is much more 

 attractive if allowed to assume its natural form, and 

 in this case the plants should not be so near together. 

 Many of the evergreens make excellent hedges, but 



FIG. 6. 

 Cross-sections 

 Starting the formal hedge; begin with the young plant and keep new growth 

 headed back several times a season until shape and size desired is attained. 



they must be pruned severely and freely from the start, 

 if one wishes a hedge and not merely a row of over- 

 crowded trees. 



EVERGREENS: Many gardeners who prune their 

 other plants freely enough seem to be afraid to touch 

 an evergreen, and the result is that one frequently sees 

 misshapen specimens which could have been made sym- 

 metrical if they had been taken in time. Even if the 

 top or leader of an evergreen is cut out, a new one will 

 take its place and in a few seasons can hardly be dis- 

 tinguished, without careful examination, from the orig- 



