288 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



June. 1914 



it is true, of course, that some varieties 

 conform to strict pruning better than others 

 there are hardly any of the strong upright 

 growing species which will not fill the bill 

 gracefully enough. 



Take the common snowball or guelder 

 rose, for example, or its close relative the 

 high-bush cranberry. Here we have a big, 

 coarse, lusty, healthy, native shrub which 

 comes as wide from the suggestion of a 

 hedge as almost anything that could be 

 named. Yet when planted in a row and 

 methodically pruned it gives the very best 

 satisfaction. The buckthorn is so good 

 in this same capacity that it has been ex- 

 tensively used in Europe and 

 the Eastern States. Or con- 

 sider further some of the lower 

 growing maples, such as Acer 

 ginnale, the Siberian maple. 



The very great value of this 

 fact lies in the latitude which 

 it allows to the home-maker. 

 A species may easily be chosen 

 suited to any soil, any climate, 

 any exposure. Furthermore the 

 gardener can please his or her 

 own taste as to size, color and 

 texture of the garden hedge. 

 A big coarse- leaved plant like 

 Viburnum tomentosum will 

 make a very different appear- 

 ance from a soft silky fine- 

 foliage species like Caragana 

 arborescens. 



It practically comes to this: that every 

 vigorous, upright, shrubby species may be 

 called into requisition in hedge making. 

 Every one is good. 



Common preference runs strongly to ever- 

 green species. There is some advantage 

 in having a hedge which holds its own all 

 the year; but as the garden is little used 

 in winter when the leaves are off, the dis- 

 advantage of the deciduous species is really 

 less than it is usually computed. The 

 native arborvitae, and, where it will suc- 

 ceed, the native hemlock, are ideal hedge 

 plants, to be sure. Other evergreen trees, 

 such as the spruces and even the white 



pine, will make very fine hedges, too, but 

 they require more regular care. It is 

 wonderful, though, what can be done with 

 white pines, retinisporas and all other trees 

 when the pruning is timely and intelligent. 

 If there are any of the hardy evergreen 

 trees, either native or exotic, which will not 

 fall into line for good hedge material that 

 fact remains to be discovered. 



Something depends on the adaptation of 

 species to soils. The amorpha, the Cratae- 

 gus, eleagnus and the shepherdia will thrive 

 on the dry plains; the willows and the ar- 

 borvitaes are better for low swampy lands. 



Then there is the planting to be con- 



In fairly moist situations Hovey's arborvitK is a satisfactory evergreen hedge 



sidered. A first requisite is to get strong, 

 healthy, uniform (especially uniform) plants 

 with good roots. Practically the only 

 way to do this is to buy nursery-grown 

 stock, or to grow the stuff in one's own nur- 

 sery. Bushes collected from the woods by 

 unskilled hands are seldom very good for 

 any purpose, least of all for hedge making. 

 Stock which has been transplanted once or 

 twice in the nursery is particularly desirable. 

 Such plants should be rather closely 

 headed in at planting time. They should 

 then be set in single or double rows. Dou- 

 ble rows are especially useful in developing 

 thick and sturdy hedges. Plants should 



be spaced from one foot to three feet, the 

 wider spacing of course being for stronger 

 growing trees which are to be developed 

 into high hedges, say ten to twelve feet high. 

 A good planting arrangement for the or- 

 dinary garden hedge using such species as, 

 for instance, the Tartarian honeysuckle, is 

 to place two rows two feet apart, plants 

 two feet apart in each row, and the rows 

 "staggered" — i. e., the plants alternating 

 in the two rows. In planting privets 

 and similar shrubs in single rows sixteen 

 inches is the safe and commonly recom- 

 mended measure. 



During thefirstyear give the young plants 

 thorough cultivation, just as 

 would be given to potatoes, 

 raspberries or any other garden 

 crop. They may need some 

 fertilizer, too; and it is well 

 when winter shuts down at the 

 end of this first summer's 

 growth, to mulch the hedge 

 row with good rich heavy 

 stable manure. In subsequent 

 years plant food and cultivation 

 should be generously given, re- 

 membering that the hedge 

 trees have the same appetites 

 and needs as any trees in the 

 fruit garden. 



Probably the most critical 

 matter in hedge making is the 

 pruning. On thisdependsfinally 

 and absolutely the success of 

 any formal hedge. For the first summer no 

 pruning will be required. The plants should 

 spend that time in establishing new root 

 systems. At the opening of the second sea- 

 son, however, the campaign commences. If 

 the young plants have made any reasonable 

 growth they should be headed back very 

 early in spring before the buds start; and 

 if they have not made a satisfactory 

 growth in the first year they ought to be 

 headed back anyhow. In the latter case, 

 however, summer pruning will be omitted 

 for the second year also. 



Supposing the plants to have made a 

 good start in the first summer and to have 



58 



White pine makes a den; 



}ng hedge when sheared annually 



The alder buckthorn makes a quick growing strong hedge but not much used 



