H E D 
that the middle of the Hedge is frequently open and 
wide, and only the Tides of them can be kept tolerably 
clofe, and that muft be by often clipping them. If 
we add to this, ' their being frequently laid or broken 
down by fnow in the winter, it muft be deemed an 
improper plant for this purpofe. 
The Ilex * or evergreen Oak, is alfo planted for 
Hedges, and where thefe are defigned to grow pretty 
tall, it is a fit plant for the purpofe 5 becaufe it is a 
plant of large growth, efpecially the fort which is 
moft common in England *, for there are two forts of 
them which grow in the fouth of France and Italy, 
* - that are of much humbler growth, fo are better adopt- 
ed to this purpofe, efpecially where the Hedge is not 
intended to be high, but thefe are not at prefent com- 
mon here. When thefe Fledges are planted very 
young, and kept clofe trained from the beginning, 
they may be veiy clofe from the ground to the height 
of twenty feet or more ; but thefe muft always be kept 
narrower at the top than below, that there may not 
too much fnow lodge upon them in the winter, which 
is apt to break and diiplace the branches, whereby 
the Hedges will be rendered unlightly. 
There are alfo fame perfons who have planted the 
Pyracantha, or evergreen Thom, Juniper, Box, Ce- 
dar of Virginia, Bay, &c. as alfo the Halimus, or Sea 
Purllane, and the Furz, Rofemary, and ieveral other 
plants for Hedges •, but the five forts firft mentioned 
having very pliant branches, which will require to be 
fupported, and the three laft being often deftroyed by 
fevere froft, renders them unfit for this purpofe ; nor 
are there other forts of evergreen plants in the Eng- 
life gardens, which arefo well adapted for Hedges, as 
thofe before-mentioned, 
The deciduous trees, which are ufually planted to form 
Hedges in gardens, are the following forts. 
The Hornbeam is much efteemed for this purpofe, 
efpecially in fuch places where they ^.re not required 
to be very high, or not wanted to grow very faft ; for 
this plant, while young, doth not make fo great pro- 
grefs as many others •, but as it is of ilower growth, the 
Hedges may be kept neat with lels trouble than moft 
other plants will require •, and the branches naturally 
growing very clofe, they will make one of the clofeft 
Hedges of all the deciduous trees ; but as the 
leaves of this tree continue upon the branches all the 
winter, and until the buds in the fpring force them 
off, they have a bad appearance during the winter 
feafon. 
The Beech is alfo a very proper tree for this purpofe, 
having the fame good qualities as the Hornbeam ; 
but the leaves of this continue late in winter upon 
the branches, when they will have a bad appearance ; 
befides, the litter which is occafioned by their leaves 
gradually falling moft part of the winter, prevents 
the garden from being made clean a great while 
longer than if there are none of thefe trees planted. 
The fmall-leaved Englife Elm, is alfo a proper tree 
for tall Hedges if thefe are planted young, and kept 
clofely clipped from their firft fetting out, the Hedges 
may be trained up to the height of thirty or forty feet, 
and be very clofe and thick the whole height. But 
when thefe trees are planted for this purpofe, they 
fhould not be crowded fo clofe together as they ufually 
are by moft people ; by which method, when the 
trees have ftood fame years, if they have thriven well, 
their Items will approach fo near each other, as that 
few branches can be maintained below, wherphy the 
bottom of the Hedge will be naked •, therefore they 
fhould not be planted clofer together than feven or 
eight feet, or if they are ten feet it will be full better. 
And although at this diftance they will not form a clofe 
Hedge fo foon as when the trees are planted clofer to- 
gether* yet they will in a few years recompenfe for 
that, by their growing much clofer and better from 
the ground upward. 
The Dutch Elm was formerly in great efteem for 
Hedges, being quick of growth* and thriving in fuch 
foils as the Englife Elm would not grow ; but the 
wretched appearance which thefe Fledges made, after 
H E D 
they had been growing a few years, very juftly occa- 
fioned their being airnoft univerfally rooted out of 
gardens, for a more abominable plant was never in- 
troduced into gardens than this. 
The Lime-tree hath alfo been recommended for 
Hedges, and in feme of the old gardens there were 
many planted with this tree, which, for a few years 
after planting, made a tolerable appearance, efpecially 
when they grow upon a moift foil , but after they had 
ftood feme years, they grew very thin at bottom, and 
by being fheered at the top, they were rendered very 
ftubby and unlightly, their leaves growing very thinly 
upon the branches, and thefe frequently turning of a 
black difagreeable colour, and falling off very foon in 
the autumn, and fometimes in the hummer in dry fea- 
fons, has brought thefe trees fo much into difrepute, 
as that few perfons make ufe of them at prefent for 
this purpofe : nor fhould any of the very ftrong 
feooting trees be applied to this ufe f for the more 
they are cut, the ftronger they will fhoot, and of courfe 
will appear very unfightly •, befides, the often cutting 
of thefe Fledges occafions great trouble and expence, 
and frequent litters in gardens. 
The Alder is frequently planted for Hedges, and 
where the foil is moift, there is not any of the decidu- 
ous trees equal to it for this purpofe ; for the leaves 
are of a lively green, continuing frefh till late in the 
autumn ; and when they decay, their litter is foon 
over, for they all drop in a feort time. , 
There are, befides the trees before-mentioned, many 
of the flowering fhrubs which have been planted to 
form Hedges ; fuch as R.ofes, Honeyfuckles, Sweet- 
briar, &c. but thefe make a bad appearance, be- 
ing more difficult to train ; and if they are cut to 
keep them within compafs, their flowers, which 
are their greateft beauty, will be entirely deftroyed. 
But as thefe are but of low growth, they are not 
proper to plant where the Hedges are to be of any 
height. 
Although I have given thefe full directions for plant- 
ing and ordering of thefe Hedges for the pleaiure-gar- 
den, yet I am far from recommending them as orna- 
mental or uieful. But as there are numbers of perfons 
who may differ from me in their opinion, and therefore 
might think it a deficiency in my book, had I not 
given thefe inftruftions ; to avoid their reproach, I 
have inferted as much as I think will be neceflary for 
the obtaining thefe Hedges wherever they are defired, 
and at a lefs expence than the late method of planting 
them hath been generally attended with •, where it 
is not uncommon to fee four times the number of 
trees planted in thefe Hedges as would have been ne- 
ceffary, or that can remain long dole together with 
any beauty. But moft people who plant, are in too 
great a hurry to have their garden filled ; and there- 
fore frequently plant fo clofe, as that in three or four 
years (if their trees thrive) three-fourths of them 
will require to be taken away again, to make room' 
for thole which are left to grow ; and there are nor 
wanting perfons, who are ready enough to encourage 
this pradice, fince their own intereft is thereby pro- 
moted. 
The tafte in gardening having been greatly altered of 
late years for the better, thefe clipped Hedges have 
been almoft excluded ; and it is to be hoped, that a 
little time will entirely banifh them out of the Englife 
gardens, as it has already been done by the feorn Ever- 
greens, which, a few years fince, were efteemed the 
greateft beauties of gardens. The latter was intro- 
duced by the Dutch gardeners, and that of tali 
Hedges with treillage-work, was in imitation of the 
French gardens ; in home of which, the expence of 
the iron treiilage, to fupport the trees which corn- 
pofe their cabinets, pavillions, bowers, porticoes, and 
other pieces cf rural architecture, amounted to a very 
great fum. I have been informed this work, in one 
garden, has coft above twenty thoufand crowns ; and 
this only to train up trees in the diftor ted ihape of pi- 
1 afters, niches, cornices, pediments, &c, when at the 
fame time, thefe can no longer retain the forms in- 
''6 0 tended. 
1 
I 
