268 THE NURSERY. [March. 
give to every one its favourite. This will be found of importance, 
and worthy of being aitendcd to. 
The liuropean white-thorn does not thrive well in a dry gravel or 
sand, nor jn 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 'he ground, &c. 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 aie in that condition. The summer following they will 
proi!uce vigorous and prosperous shoots. 
Wlien 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, bv pruning and cleaning up 
their stems till out of the reach of cattle, retarding the ascending 
growth of the others by annuttl topping; then they may be grafted 
with any good kinds of cider apples, and in a few years will pro- 
duce fruit in abundance. 
Hedt^es raised from the pippins of apples may be treated in the 
sanie 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 k nds. 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 cocks/iur 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 forn»cd 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 groimd, every fourteeii 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 irom the spines or thorns: unless you are provided with 
these, you will have a bloody job of it; but being so fortified, it 
will lie l)ut 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 heigh? 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 
