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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



19. The right and wrong way to trim a hedge. The vertical or broad-topped one at the left will eventu- 

 ally breaK down with its burden of snow. The sloping or narrow topped hedge at the right sheds the snow. 

 The hedge at the left is weak at the base because the sun doesn't reach it; therefore the wind blows under 



tection is required from the cold northwest 

 winds and blizzards which so often blow 

 at a terrific rate across the unbroken prairies. 

 Nothing has yet been found to be the equal 

 of a forest of deciduous trees or a belt of ever- 

 greens, and one row of the latter is as good 

 as ten or twelve rows of deciduous trees. 



Though the Scotch pine and Norway 

 spruce are used more extensively than any 

 other evergreen, they are not necessarily 

 the best trees that could be used for the pur- 

 pose. But they are the two fastest growing, 

 also the cheapest, and hence the most popu- 

 lar. The Scotch pine fails much earlier 

 than the Norway spruce. There are many 

 Norway spruce windbreaks from twenty-five 

 to forty years old that still retain their lower 

 branches and seem good for as many more 

 years. The Austrian pine is now being used 

 in some sections, as it is a much longer-lived 

 tree than the Scotch pine, although not as 

 rapid a grower while young. The white and 

 Douglas spruces are by far the best trees for 



windbreaks in the Middle West; the former 

 from central Iowa north, the latter from cen- 

 tral Iowa south; the white spruce is very slow 

 growing but very durable, holding its lower 

 branches much longer than the Norway 

 spruce. Trees over fifty-five years old in 

 parts of Illinois show no signs of losing their 

 lower branches. The Douglas spruce is 

 as yet too expensive for general planting, 

 but a much better tree in every way than the 

 Norway spruce or Scotch pine. It is a rapid 

 grower, having more the character of the 

 hemlock than the spruce. The hemlock, 

 which is such an admirable tree in the East, 

 does not do well on the rich black soil of 

 the prairies. The green form of the Colo- 

 rado blue spruce is used extensively. It is a 

 medium grower, stands crowding well, and 

 owing to its stiff branches and sharp-pointed 

 and strong needles, is both boy and dog 

 proof. The blue form is far too expensive 

 to be used for ordinary hedge planting. It 

 is essentially a garden plant. 



THE MERITS OF ARBORVITAE 



The American arborvitse finds equal favor 

 in the East and in the West for a shelter belt 

 not to exceed 20 feet in height, especially on 

 land that lies too low for spruces and pines. 

 The American arborvitae has as its chief 

 values quick growth, symmetrical shape 

 and ease of propagation from seed or from 

 cuttings. It is particularly well adapted to 

 swampy lands. Its disadvantage is that after 

 about thirty years it begins to get bare at 

 the base. When grown in a nursery having 

 a dry soil, the root system becomes modified 

 and instead of a ball of numerous fibres, it 

 develops a few long and coarse roots. Such 

 trees are liable to die when transplanted. 



A good windbreak will protect, in an 

 ordinary wind, from eight to twelve times 

 its height, as is easily seen after a snow storm, 

 the snow lying level for this distance, often 

 eight to thirty inches deep, while beyond the 

 protecting influence of a hedge the ground is 

 bare in spots, with high drifts in other places. 



MAKING A HEDGE 



A good hedge must be grown as a crop. 

 As it is to stand for an indefinite term of 

 years, the ground should be prepared even 

 more thoroughly than for ordinary planting. 

 A live hedge's chief attraction — and it never 

 fails to attract greatly — lies in evident, rich, 

 vigorous growth. This means plenty of soil. 

 Therefore cultivate the ground for a width 

 of six feet before the plants are set out. It 

 is better to plant in the single row than in the 

 double row because it is easier to keep down 

 the weeds. If evergreens are planted in double 

 rows for windbreak purposes, a space of 

 twenty feet or even more must be left between 

 the rows, because, planted closer than twenty 

 feet, they will crowd each other as they grow. 

 Result: inner side of each row will die out. 



PROPER DISTANCE FOR PLANTING 



The large-growing trees, such as hemlock, 

 all the ordinary pines, spruces, etc., may be 

 set five feet apart. For ornamental hedges in 

 gardens where Retinosporas and similar small- 

 growing plants are used, about two feet will be 

 ample space to leave. Avoid close planting 



20. The winter beauty of a hemlocK hedge 



21. A nearer view, showing the hemlock sprays 



