1 6 THE BOOK OF MARKET GARDENING 



difficulty in determining this when ditches are kept 

 open, as they should always be on the side away from 

 the owner's land, i.e. the hedges are planted on the 

 land, and the ditch constitutes the boundary. Sometimes 

 this guide is absent, and considerable difficulty and 

 annoyance may be experienced if the facts are not 

 determined at the time of purchase. 



This is of the greatest importance where pastures 

 adjoin the garden or farm, as it is incumbent upon the 

 occupier to keep his hedges in order, not only for the 

 protection of his own place, but to prevent the entry 

 of cattle or horses from other persons' land. Failing 

 this he has a doubtful claim for damage, which in the 

 case of a garden or nursery may be of a serious character. 

 In the same way the occupier of adjoining land is required 

 to maintain his hedges in an effective state where they 

 form the boundary of another's property. 



Protection from adverse winds may exist as rising 

 ground or as plantations of trees at a convenient distance, 

 and in all cases adds to the value of the land for 

 immediate use. Otherwise it will be necessary to plant 

 hedges, groups, or belts of trees, to provide the shelter 

 required. This is of more importance for fruit trees 

 and flowering plants than for vegetables, except the 

 earliest and most tender. But as wind breaks, compact 

 dense hedges of moderate height are useful in most 

 gardens, nurseries, or farms, only they must not be too 

 near together so that the land is cut up into small plots, 

 unless in exposed districts where particular shelter 

 is needed for choice plants and flowers. A distinction 

 must be made between hedges for boundaries and those 

 for protection only. As an outside hedge nothing has 

 yet been found to surpass the Common Quick or 

 Whitethorn, but it is very slow in growth, and needs so 

 much protection in its young state that it usually 

 answers a market grower's purpose better to provide 



