THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



17 



22. The dull, unimaginative way, as old as the hills — an avenue of black evergreens making an unnatural line in the landscape and too violent a contrast with the 

 snow. Norway spruce, one of the most dismal trees when planted alone or in lines. Lighter colored evergreens are more cheery 



unless for immediate effect and with the 

 purpose to remove alternate plants as soon 

 as they touch. If planted too closely, some 

 gaps will occur through the death of the 

 overcrowded specimens. 



The native hemlock makes as pretty a 

 hedge as can be desired, its young feathery 

 growth having a beauty all its own. In plant- 

 ing, start with young stock and set them about 

 two feet apart (or less) and cut out the leaders 

 to insure branching. After the first year, trim 

 the side shoots too, allowing a little growth 

 each season until the desired height is 

 attained. 



KEEPING WITHIN BOUNDS 



There is no mystery about pruning a 

 hedge; while it is still growing and is being 

 shaped, prune or shear just before growth 



begins, that is, in March or April. Afterward 

 pruning may be done in June. Never shear 

 an evergreen hedge in autumn or winter, or 

 you will be writing to The Garden Maga- 

 zine to know why your hedge is dying. 



The shape of the hedge is all important. 

 There are two admissible ways, variations 

 of the same general type: Wide at the base 

 and coming to a narrow top so that the 

 section is triangular; or with the sides either 

 straight or slightly bulged — with the pref- 

 erence for the latter. Nothing can look 

 worse than a hedge with a hollow base. A 

 flat-topped hedge holds the snow on it in 

 winter time and is likely to be broken down; 

 a hedge should shed the snow; besides, it 

 cuts off sunlight from the bottom. After 

 it has become well formed prune or shear 

 it once a year — in June. 



As a purely formal hedge, nothing exceeds 

 the box, but its slow growth is sometimes a 

 drawback, and unfortunately it is not certain 

 to grow in all places. The most popular 

 hedge plant to-day (almost an evergreen) is 

 the California privet (Ligustrum ovalijolium) . 

 Its leaves endure until the turn of the year 

 at least, and it is the quickest-growing plant 

 and most easily managed that we have. On 

 the other hand, it is not really hardy above 

 ground in hard winters like that of 1904-05. 



In New England, experience shows that 

 the Scotch and Austrian pines are inferior 

 to the white pine as windbreaks when they are 

 well developed, although the latter breaks 

 at twenty to forty years of age. The best 

 resister of ice in that section appears to be 

 Pinns Cembra, and the Norway spruce also 

 comes through well. 



23. The simple, natural tasteful, and permanent way of planting evergreens. When grouped or massed, trees of any hind protect one another. Small Austrian 

 pines planted closely to establish forest conditions on a gentleman's estate. His hillside will be a grand sight before he dies. This is one of the best things men 

 of wealth can do. When these trees establish forest conditions they will shoot up quicKly. Meanwhile they are a joy to look at 



