THE HEDGE FOR WHERE YOU LIVE 
E. I. FARRINGTON 
Whatever Your Latitude and Longitude May Be There are Plants 
Available for Such Type as Y our Architecture Demands and You Desire 
IS a fundamental rule, although it is often disregarded, 
,;Tj 'f unfortunately, that a hedge, like any other kind of 
“fence,” ought to conform to the character of the place 
(ulOS i which it surrounds. Some types of architecture call 
obviously for a closely clipped, formal treatment while on the 
other hand such a hedge would be entirely out of place in con- 
nection with a rambling country house or cottage. Further, in 
some ready-made com- 
munities where a man 
has to count the houses 
from the corner to be sure 
of getting into his own 
dwelling, hedges of a uni- 
form character harmon- 
ize with the general 
scheme. But many less 
regular suburban towns 
are made more pictur- 
esque by the use of vari- 
ety in the hedge plants 
chosen. 
Of course this point is 
elemental and the same 
wherever your home may 
be; but the choice of the 
hedge plant itself must 
be regulated largely by 
the locality. Probably 
the plant which has the 
widest adaptation is the 
Japanese Barberry (Ber- 
beris Thunbergii). For- 
tunately this has no part 
in spreading the wheat rust, as does the common Barberry and the 
variety purpurea, both of which are often recommended for use as 
living fences — for it isoneof the most useful hedge plantsin all the 
list. It will thrive in almost all parts of the country — except the 
arid section of the West — and will flourish at the seashore even 
though drenched daily by a salt spray. It can be pruned but looks 
well when left to “gang its ain gait” ; and the scarlet berries which 
it bears in great profusion and which persist throughout the winter 
even in the Southern states, add immeasurablyto its ornamental 
value. All things considered, therefore, the Japanese barberry 
comes nearest being the most satisfactory hedge plant in all the 
country, and gardeners everywhere owe a debt of gratitude to 
the Arnold Arboretum, which introduced it. Th'e one drawback 
to it is the fact that it is dwarf in habit ; if a hedge more than three 
or four feet high is needed something else must be used. 
The common Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) makes a very 
good hedge in the Northern states and will grow up to six feet 
high, but while thorny it is not so impenetrable as its Japanese 
cousin. Moreover, in sections where wheat is grown it should 
not be planted under any circumstances. Some states indeed 
expressly prohibit the use of it, but in the East it makes a more 
satisfactory hedge than is commonly realized. This statement . 
is equally applicable to the purple-leafed variety, Berberis 
vulgaris purpurea. 
Undoubtedly the California Privet, so called — it is really a 
Chinese plant — has been used more extensively than any 
other hedge plant. This is true partly because of its low 
price — made possible by easy propagation — and partly be- 
cause its name for some reason has stuck in the minds of 
amateurs everywhere, which has led to a call for it as a matter 
of course. Truth to tell it makes a good hedge, especially 
when expected to serve as a partial screen; few plants are 
more amenable to shear- 
ing; it grows rapidly (not 
always considered an ad- 
vantage by the owner 
who has to do his own 
pruning!) and it does not 
mind a salt water bath. 
Indeed, people having 
homes near the seashore 
have better success with 
this plant than those 
who live inland. Its 
susceptibility to winter 
damage is considerable 
in the North, however. 
This does not mean that 
it is frequently killed out 
by the cold, for that is 
not true, but very often 
the top growth is frozen 
back to such an extent 
that heavy cutting is 
necessary to restore the 
symmetry of the hedge. 
But when all is said and 
done it is undeniable that 
theCalifornia Privet has many merits, not the least of which is the 
tenacity of its leaves which remain green very late in the fall. 
Other Privets have this same tendency, and in some instances 
to a greater degree. The so-called Common Privet, Ligustrum 
vulgare, has this characteristic well developed — and makes a 
good hedge plant for Northern states, too. Considerable has 
been heard about L. lbota in recent years. This is a good 
Privetforshearing.but is not absolutely hardy in the more north- 
ern sections. It bears great numbers of blue berries which are 
ornamental. Regel’s Privet is really a variety of L. lbota but 
is dwarf, seldom growing more than four feet, and has a loose, 
spreading habit of growth quite different from the other Privets. 
In the South lbota Privet and Regel’s Privet are virtually ever- 
green, holding their leaves through the winter but dropping them 
when the new ones come. For the South there is also a true 
evergreen Privet known as Ligustrum lucidum, which makes a 
serviceable hedge — but this is tender and suited only to the South. 
Of all Privets it must be said that they are among the most 
desirable of all shrubs for cities, not being greatly affected by 
dust or smoke. This is particularly true of the California 
Privet and the species known as L. lbota. 
I N PASSING I may say that there is a good deal of confusion 
in the catalogues concerning Ligustrum amurense and L. 
sinense. Some Southern nurserymen give the former name to 
A HEDGE OF MASSED TEA-ROSES IN THE WEST 
In the favored climate of Portland, Oregon, which is rapidly growing famous for its Roses, 
this sort of thing along a city street is as common as the wild Rose along a country roadside 
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