268 THE NURSERY. [March. 
give to every one its favourite. This will be found of importance, 
and worthy of being attended to. 
The European white-thorn does not thrive well in a dry gravel or 
sand, nor in a cold spuey clay; a good strong loam is its favourite. 
When young hedge plants, of any kind, become stunted and 
hide-bound, in consequence of the poverty of the ground, Sec. it 
■will be proper to head them down to within two inches of the 
ground, either in the months of October or March, cutting them 
off clean and smooth; observing, however, that this is not to be 
done to one here and there, but to the whole row out of the face, as 
far as they are in that condition. The summer following they will 
produce vigorous and prosperous shoots. 
When you have crab hedges, which certainly forms very good 
and durable ones, you may encourage one vigorous straight shoot- 
ing plant, at every fifty feet distance, by pruning and cleaning up 
their stems till out of the reach of cattle, retarding the ascending 
growth of the others by annual topping; then they may be grafted 
with any good kinds of cider apples, and in a few years will pro- 
duce fruit in abundance. 
Hedges raised from the pippins of apples may be treated in the 
same way; but you may suffer some to stand ungrafted, for many 
will yield very good cider fruit, and perhaps some may produce 
new and superior kinds. You will be able to judge by leaf, shoot 
and bud, which are most likely to produce the best fruit, and which 
not, and manage them accordingly. 
We have various other plants that might answer for live hedges, 
which due observation and a little experience will point out; but 
upon the whole, I am of opinion, that the cocksfiur thorn will an- 
swer a better purpose with us, for outward, strong, and durable 
fences, than any other. 
Plashing of Hedges. 
This is a very necessary operation, especially when hedges are 
grown old, or have been so neglected, as that gaps are formed in 
several places; and indeed it is the practice in countries where the 
greatest attention is paid to them, either to plash, or cut them all 
clean down to within six inches of the ground, every fourteen or 
fifteen years. To perform this business, you must be provided 
with a good sharp hedge-bill, hand-saw, and a pair of strong leather 
gloves, that will reach up to your elbows, to protect your hands and 
arms from the spines or thorns: unless you are provided with 
these, you will have a bloody job of it; but being so fortified, it 
will be but a recreative amusement. 
Then select some of the main upright stems, at distances in 
proportion to the general growth of the hedge, to serve for stakes, 
which are to be cut off with the saw at the height of three or four 
feet from the roots; other stakes are to be drove down in those va- 
cancies, where growing ones do not occur, between which, as well 
as the former, to plash and lay the general branches; observing, 
that the shorter the shoots which are to be plashed, the closer the 
