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hedges more equal in their growth. If thefe Haws 
are Town in the places where they are defigned to re- 
main for a fence, they will make a much greater pro- 
gress in a few years, than thofe which are tranfplanted •, 
but as the feeds remain a whole year in the ground be- 
fore the plants appear, few people care to pra&ife 
this method •, however, thofe who are defirous to raife 
their hedges this way, fhould bury the Haws, by put- 
ting them in pots foon after they are ripe, and bury- 
ing the pots two feet deep in the ground, where they 
may remain one year, then take them up and fow 
them •, by this preparation the plants will come up the 
following fpring ; but before they are fown, the 
Haws fhould be bruifed with hands, and their outer 
coverings waffied off, whereby the feeds may be fown 
at a more regular diftance ; for as moll of the Flaws 
inclofe four or five feeds, fo if they are fown entire 
there will be as many plants arife in a duller, which 
if permitted to Hand, will prevent each other’s 
growth ; and in drawing out the fuperfluous plants, 
there will be great danger of injuring thofe which are 
to remain. 
The next to the white Thorn is the black Thorn, 
which, though not fo generally efteemed as the white, 
yet it will make an excellent fence, where proper care 
is taken in the planting and after management of it ; 
and the loppings of this hedge make much the bell 
bufhes for draining of Land, and are of longer dura- 
tion for dead hedges than thofe of any other fort of 
tree, and are very proper to mend gaps in fences ; 
for their branches being befet with fharp thorns, 
the cattle are not fo apt to crop them as the white 
Thorn, and fome other forts. Thefe hedges are alfo 
better, if the ftones of the Plumbs are fown on the 
ipot where they are to remain, than where the plants 
are taken from a nurfery •, if thefe are fown in the au- 
tumn foon after the fruit is ripe, the plants will come 
up the fpring following. 
The Crab will alfo make a ftrong durable fence ; this 
may be raifed by lowing the kernels in the place where 
the hedge is defigned •, but then there fhould be great 
care taken of the plants while they are young, to keep 
them clear from weeds, as alfo to guard them from 
cattle. When thefe flocks have obtained ftrength, 
fome of them may be grafted with Apples for cyder, 
where the fence is not expoled to a public road ; but 
thefe grafts fhould not be nearer than thirty-five or 
forty feet, left they fpoil the hedge, by their heads 
overgrowing and dripping on it. 
The Holly is alfo an excellent plant for evergreen 
hedges, and would claim the preference to either of 
the former, were it not for the flownefs of its growth 
while young, and the difficulty of tranfplanting the 
plants when grown to a moderate fize. This will grow 
belt in cold ftony Lands, where, if once it takes well, 
the hedges may be rendered fo clofe and thick, as to 
keep out ail forts of animals, and will grow to a con- 
fiderable height, and is of long duration. Thefe 
hedges may be raifed, by fowing the berries, either 
in the place where they are defigned to remain, or by 
planting young plants of three or four years growth ; 
but as the berries continue in the ground an entire 
year before the plants appear, few perfons care to 
wait fo long ; therefore the ufual method is, to plant 
the hedges with plants of the before-mentioned age. 
But where this is praflifed, they fhould be tranfplant- 
ed, either early in the autumn, or deferred till toward 
the end of March ; then the furface of the ground 
fhould be covered with mulch near their roots after 
they are planted, to keep the earth moift ; and if the 
feafon fhould prove dry, the plants fhould be wa- 
tered at leaft once a week, until they have taken root, 
otherwife they will be in danger of mifcarrying ; for 
which reafon the autumnal planting is generally pre- 
ferred to the fpring, efpecially in dry grounds. 
The Alder will alfo make a good hedge, when planted 
on a moift foil, or on the fide of rivers, or large 
ditches ; and will preferve the bank from being waffied 
away, where there are running ftreams ; for they fpread 
pretty much at bottom, and fend forth fuckers from 
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their roots in great plenty ; but thefe hedges mould 
be fheared at leaft once a year, in order to make them 
thick. Thefe Alder hedges are very ornamental, when 
they are well kept in large gardens ; and as they will 
thrive beft on wet fwampy Lands, where many other 
plants will not live, they fhould be fele&ed for fuch 
fituations. 
Of late years the Furz has been much propagated for 
hed ges in feveral parts of England, and indeed will 
make a good fence on poor, fandy, or gravelly foils, 
where few other plants will grow. The beft method 
of raffing thefe hedges is, to fow the feed about the 
latter end of March, or the beginning of April, in the 
place where the hedge is defigned j for the plants will 
not bear to be tranfplanted, unlefs it be done while they 
are young, and then there is great hazard of their 
taking. The ground where the feeds are to be fown 
fhould be well cleanfed of weeds, and the furface made 
light ; then there fhould be two or three drills made 
(according to the width which the hedge is intended) 
about half an inch deep, into which the feeds fhould 
be fcattered pretty thick •, and then the drills fhould 
be filled up with the head of a rake, to cover the 
feeds. This work fhould be performed in dry weather, 
for if much wet falls foon after the feeds are fown, it 
is apt to burft them. When the plants are come up, 
they fhould be kept clear from weeds, that they may 
fpread and grow thick at bottom ; and if thefe hedges 
are fecured from cattle broufing on them, and are cut 
every fpring juft before they begin to fhoot, they will 
make an exceeding clofe fence •, but where they are 
defigned to be cut for fuel, then the beft way is to 
let them fpread in width ■; and when they are two years 
old, to cut them down in the fpring, juft before they 
begin to fhoot, within two or three inches of the 
ground, which will caufe them to fend forth a num- 
ber of ffioots from each root, and thereby increafe 
the width of the hedge j and by fo doing, the plants 
will not run up tall and weak, and be in danger of be- 
ing weighed down by great falls of fnow. Thefe 
hedges when they are well grown, may be cut down 
every third or fourth year for fuel ; wherefore if there 
is a treble row of Furz fown, at about -three feet apart, 
they may be cut down alternately, fo that there will be 
a fence always remaining. But this is only recom- 
mended for fuch fandy Lands as lett for a final! 
rent, and where fuel is lcarce. The beft fort of Furz; 
for this purpofe is the greater kind, commonly called 
the French Furz, which will grow to eight or ten 
feet high, and is not apt to fpread fo much as the or- 
dinary finall fort. 
Elder is fometimes planted for hedges, being very 
quick of growth fo that if fticks or truncheons about 
four or five feet long be thruft into a bank flopewife 
each way, fo as to crofs each other, and thereby form, 
a fort of chequer work, it will make a fence for fnel- 
ter in one year. But as this is a vigorous growing 
plant, it will never form a clofe fence ; and the 
young ffioots being very foft and pithy, are foon 
broken by cattle or boys in their fport. Befides, 
where they are fuffered to bear berries, and thefe are 
fcattered over the neighbouring Land, they will come 
up the following fpring, and become very troublefome. 
Where thefe hedges are planted, they may be cut 
down every third year near the ground ; and thefe 
flakes (when divefted of their bark, fo as to prevent 
their growing) will laft longer in the ground, to fup- 
port Vines or any other plants, which do not require 
tall ftakes, than any other fort of tree yet known.. 
And where the trees are fuffered to grow to any con- 
fiderable fize, the wood is as hard as Box, and there- 
fore very ufeful for turners and in fir urgent makers. 
The beft feafon for planting thefe truncheons isffoon 
after Michaelmas, beeaufe the plants fhoot very early 
in the fpring. Of late years there have been many 
hedges, and other plantations, made of the white ber- 
ried Elder, for the fake of their fruit to make wine 5 
which, if rightly made, hath the flavour of Frontiniae 
wine, and is by fome perfons mixed with white wines,, 
and vended for it. 
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There 
