Essay upon Fences. 
487 
standing in the hedgerows, will look sickly and yellow, instead of 
improving and becoming the dark luxuriant colour of the remain- 
der of the field ; and from that time until harvest there will be a 
decided and a continual falling off in the appearance of the crop, 
which eventually, when threshed, will present a deficit of one-half 
or two-thirds in the yield of grain and in the bulk of straw. There 
are many reasons which are considered to be the cause of the injury 
done to grain-crops by hedgerow timber, and the more prevalent 
one is that it is caused by the spreading of the roots. In some 
cases, and most generally in hop-grounds, trenches have been dug 
6 or 7 feet deep, at a distance of 8 or 10 feet from the stem of the 
tree, and the Avhole of the roots running from the tree in that 
direction divided, and rendered innocuous. This plan, I am in- 
formed, has been attended, in hop-grounds with considerable suc- 
cess. There is also a strong feeling that the damage occasioned 
is by means of the tree's shadow, and the consequent depriva- 
tion of sun and air experienced by the adjoining crops. This 
opinion is generally considered to be based on correct and scien- 
tific principles, for light being in a primary degree essential to the 
growth of plants, the deprivation which the shadow of the trees 
occasions to the land immediately adjoining is in the highest 
degree detrimental. 
I believe that this theory will be found to be in accordance with 
facts. I have invariably observed, except in cases of very small 
fields, that trees cause less injury to the crops on the north than 
on any other side of the field ; and I am strongly of opinion that 
if the roots of the trees on the northern side of a field were divided, 
no damage, except the small one caused by the drip of the trees, 
could be experienced ; while I doubt whether if that plan were 
executed with trees on the southern side of the field, it would be 
found, though beneficial in some degree, entirely an effectual cure. 
And setting park-like beauty aside, what object can a landowner 
have in the preservation of hedgerow timber ? In a pecuniary 
point of view he would surely be abundantly recompensed by the 
interest upon the vested capital realised by the sale of the timber, 
and the Increased value of the land to the occupying tenant. Of 
course, the other arguments advanced before with respect to 
hedgerows, will be found in some measure applicable to the 
timber which they contain, while the grievous evil which their 
roots and shade cause to the adjoining crops, especially to the 
wheats, renders it in a high degree incumbent upon the land- 
owner, who is anxious to see his land produce the utmost, to clear 
his property of "the over-ahundance of hedgerow timber." 
In conclusion, I may be allowed to submit that the points ad- 
vanced in the above observations are worthy of the serious atten- 
tion of the landowners and farmers of England. Let the present 
