EVERGREEN HEDGES. 
177 
at right angles 1^ inches, to be mortised in. The 
eye to be secured with two bolts. I have secured 
the post on which the gate is hung at the foot, by 
bracing three ways all under ground. Frame a 
sill to the post and brace latterly each side, at the 
bottom of which have on another sill, and brace 
toward the gate. Let the post in the ground as 
far as the top of the braces, when well secured, 
put unleached ashes around the post to preserve it. 
I have just constructed a road-scraper, and be¬ 
lieving it to be of great public utility, I take the 
liberty of giving you a sketch of it. It has been 
used in several road districts, and indeed such has 
been the encomiums bestowed on it, that it is now 
considered the only instrument necessary to repair 
roads. 
(Fig. 43.) 
a, a , are white oak plank 4 inches thick, and 18 
inches wide. The wings are 5 feet long, and bev¬ 
elled together at h , and made secure by spikes or 
wooden pins; c, 4 X 4 scantling framed through 
the wings at d, and screwed by 1^ inch pins run¬ 
ning through the plank; e, a chain fastened to the 
cross-piece near the wing; /, /, handles; bore 
with a two-inch augur angling through the wings 
so as to raise the handles of sufficient height. At 
the bottom and inside of the wings attach a saw- 
plate, and have it project one quarter of an inch. 
The draught may be by chain as indicated above, 
or by a roller and tongue. I prefer a chain. At¬ 
tach 2 or 3 yoke of cattle, and put on sufficient 
weight to have it do good execution. Its object is 
to level the road and fill up the ruts. The angle 
b should be kept over the rut, and as the dirt col¬ 
lects at the angle it falls in, and completely fills 
the ruts. When you wish to fill considerable of 
an excavation, retain the dirt until you are over it, 
then lift up by the handles, and the dirt is depos¬ 
ited. In repairs it will supersede the common 
scraper, for no sane man should be guilty of scra¬ 
ping in turf or soil into a road. No better material 
can be used on a road (except gravel), than the 
dirt already there, and the longer it has been used 
the better. The operation of the scraper is well 
calculated to scrape from the sides toward the 
centre. If you have not anything of the kind, I 
presume you would be pleased with its operation. 
It is also well calculated to break paths in the 
winter, by reversing the draught. I did design to 
give you a draught of a subsoil plow invented by 
me, and some information of the great ..utility of 
subsoil plowing ; but as I design to compete for 
the premiums on the instrument and its utility at 
the next State Agricultural Convention, to be held 
in Rochester September next, I have thought it 
best to defer it until then. 
Sherman McLean. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
EVERGREEN HEDGES. 
New York , August 3d, 1843. 
Visiting the estate of Mr. J. P. Cushing, at 
Watertown, near Boston, a few weeks ago, I was 
struck with the beauty and economy of some Ar¬ 
bor Vitae hedges enclosing his grounds. They 
have acquired a sufficient growth to prevent the 
passage of all ordinary animals, and have the ap¬ 
pearance of enduring many years. It occurred to 
me that other evergreens, as the spruce and fir 
tribes, could be applied in the same manner, and 
serve for the same purposes. Although the Arbor 
Vita3 possesses more beauty than the spruce and 
fir, yet we conceive that this is counterbalanced by 
the advantages attending their cultivation. The 
latter are cheap, abundant, and will grow in al¬ 
most every soil and climate. 
The following diagram will show the mode of 
setting out these hedges:— 
(Fig. 44.) 
Ground Plan. 
(Fig. 46.) 
Side View. 
The young shrubs are planted alternately in two 
rows about nine or ten inches apart, as denoted in 
