54 THE BOOK OF TOPIARY 
but if a strong. branch should happen to get displaced 
in any way, the use of string as a tying material should 
be avoided and copper wire should always be sub- 
stituted in its place. In the case of an old branch the 
pressure is greater, and whatever material has been used 
in the work, it will as a rule be intended to last for 
years. For the purpose of tree tying of any description 
copper wire is to be recommended; it has not the 
same injurious effect on the trees as ordinary galvanised 
wire; but whatever is used, cork should always be 
placed between the wire and the wood as a preventive 
against cutting the tree. 
When clipping an old tree that is a perfectly square 
one, it is a good practice to use either a line or some 
kind of straight edge. If the man who is doing the 
work uses one or the other he can generally give the 
tree a better and more finished appearance than if he 
trusts to the eye only. 
Perhaps of all the different kind of shapes there are 
to clip in the Topiary garden, hedges require the most 
skill and care, and only the most experienced men should 
be allowed to undertake the work of clipping them. 
Hedges in the garden are mostly planted in such a way 
that their entire length is visible, and of course the most 
casual observer can see at a glance whether they are 
properly clipped or if there are any shear marks visible 
on them. If the hedge is composed mostly of curves, 
then of course the clipping is not such a difficult matter. 
A long, straight hedge and one that is almost entirely 
made up of curves, differ in the same respect with regard 
to the ease with which they can be clipped, exactly in 
the same way as a round or anoval tree. Whenclipping 
a straight hedge a person should never trust entirely to 
the eye, and lines should always be used; and for the 
purpose nothing is better than ordinary garden lines. 
In the case of hedges that are cut into battlements 
