146 ON RAISING AND MANAGING HEDGES. 
much exposed to the atmosphere, particularly in the drought of 
spring. The plant comes early into leaf, and should be planted 
out in autumn, in winter, or early in spring. Early planted 
hedges, compared with late planted, generally show a great 
difference during the first summer. The practice common in 
the east of England, which I have witnessed, of exposing 
large lots of “quick” to the influence of the weather on 
market days in spring, cannot fail at least to retard their 
growth very much during the succeeding summer. Plants 
two years transplanted, of the ordinary size, are generally 
inserted six inches apart in a line of hedge. Those of a 
superior strength, from a half inch to one inch in diameter, 
may be placed from eight to ten inches, according to their 
strength. Such plants should be cut over within two or three 
inches of the ground-mark before being planted; after being 
inserted the stumps should only be visible above ground ; 
thus strong plants, in ground well prepared, often produce 
several shoots each, some of them not unfrequently attaining 
a height the first season of upwards of two feet. After plant- 
ing, nothing further than cleaning by hoeing and raking is 
required for the first two years, when the hedge should be 
slightly pruned or equalized with a hedge-switcher, pointing 
only such extreme shoots as are higher or extend beyond 
the medium growth of the plants. When the plants employed 
are much smaller, it commonly requires three years before it is 
necessary to prune the hedge. With small plants, a hedge 
composed of a double row gets more readily into shape, and 
becomes more compact at an early date, the lines being ten to 
twelve inches apart. One line however of strong plants is 
generally the best. After the hedge receives its first dressing 
or pruning, its vigour will be greatly increased by digging in 
on both sides a good layer of well-rotted manure, similar on 
each side to that applied to a drill of well-manured swedes. 
If the hedge is properly kept, no perennial or rooted weeds 
will be found within the trenched space of four feet in breadth 
allotted for it. If such, however, have been allowed to accu- 
mulate, they should be forked out before the application of 
