Fencing. 



method of planting quickset hedges. I shall, under the 

 word Hawthorn," or " ^ fiitethorn," tvent of the manner 

 of rearing the plants. Then, as to the other error ; namely, 

 the supposition that a close hedge is ohtained by putting the 

 plants t?eri/ wear to one another ; who ever saw^ any plants, 

 of any kind, thrive, if standing so close as to struggle for 

 subsistence ? Such struggle immediately begins, in a 

 thickly set hedge. Some plants are stronger than others. 

 The plants are much too young for you to ensure uniformiti/ 

 in their size and strength, which is a great thing, and 

 ought in no plantation to be overlooked. The weaker 

 plants are subdued. The growth is uneven. There are 

 low places. Every person and thing, wishing to cross the 

 hedge, is invited to these. Gaps come ; and then the hedge 

 is not worth a straw. In very good ground, this hardy 

 plant will, even when thus mismanaged, get up; but, it will 

 be feeble, have a big top and a hollow bottom. Whereas, 

 by giving each plant 15 inches of space, you leave room 

 for its roots to get food; by using /ar^e plants you secure 

 uniformity of size, and, of growth. You quickly get stout 

 stems; your shoots are strong; and you get an effectual 

 fence in half the usual time. Suppose a hundred acres of 

 land in a square form. The four sides will be, in length, 

 500 rods, or thereabouts. To plant these with quicksets, 

 according to my plan, takes about 6,700 plants; and, I 

 have many times seen more than at the rate of 20,000 

 plants to a like space. Then, they are so easily hoed and 

 kept clean, when thinly planted; and (which is a thing by 

 no means to be overlooked) a hare, which, in half a minute, 

 snaj)s off four or five small quicks to make herself a con- 

 venient promenade, is under no temptation to molest the 

 large plants, which present, besides, much too tough a job 

 for her to perform by way of amusement ; and, at last, 

 when the plashes come to be laid down and to grow, all is 



