HOUSE AND GARDEN 
A 
P R I L , 
1912 
Oidweli awn oMloweri a 
i EE B 8s« 
NSt'^TME: l,ARGEST 'Aa'wn"’'~‘"mOWER FACTO K»V IN THE WORLD MMMlT 
eMptorJawfv c^i^wer 
THESE MACHINES ARE USED ON MANY OFTHE LEADING 
GOLF COURSES PUBLIC PARKS THROUGHOUT THE 
UNITED STATES. THEY IMPROVE BEAUTIFY THE 
LAWN AS NO OTHER MACHINE CAN AT MUCH LESS COST.. 
(Send for (Patalogue 
1# 
ECONOMY 
Let the first cost of your tank tower be the last. It is economy 
to erect a 
Corcoran Tank Tower 
That will last a life time and save you constant repair charges. 
The Corcoran Tanks and Towers have been giving satisfaction 
for the past forty years. They are economical, convenient and 
artistic, and are built to order, suitable for any location. 
We will be pleased to send you estimate of complete cost, in- 
1 IHH 
eluding designing material and construction. 
A. J. CORCORAN, Inc. 17 JOHN STREET, N. Y. 
The Care of Hedges 
W HEN a young hedge is cut into 
shape it is important to keep it so. 
There is no real need to have a general 
trimming every year, but it will very quick¬ 
ly and imperceptibly grow out of shape ,if 
it is not examined every autumn and the 
irregular growths cut back. As already in¬ 
dicated, the penalty of neglect, and allow¬ 
ing the top to spread, is a thinning and 
weakening at the bottom. A hedge kept 
in this way will last a great number of 
years; but such a hedge does not represent 
the average of the country. The farmer 
will be engaged more frequently in making 
good the weaknesses of old hedges, more 
or less worn out, than in planting and rais¬ 
ing new ones. We may take first the case 
of a hedge grown on flat ground without 
an open ditch. Such a hedge may be 
growing beautifully, when one day a blight 
may seem to strike it in patches. Growth 
is almost at a standstill at these points, and 
soon the bushes become more or less cov¬ 
ered with gray, mossy lichen. These weak 
bits will probably be found to be at low 
points on undulating grormd, and are 
caused by the roots striking down into the 
sour, waterlogged subsoil. The only rem¬ 
edy in this case is proper drainage either 
by pipe or an open gripe. If a pipe drain 
i.s used, it must be two or three yards away 
from the base of the hedge, as it would 
soon become choked with roots if much 
nearer. 
A condition that may be observed in any 
old hedge is a tall, straggling growth of 
the bushes, with gaps at various points and 
a thick covering of blackberry brambles. 
\Ve will take the case of a hedge with an 
open gripe for an example, as a hedge on 
the flat may be treated on similar princi¬ 
ples. A common mistake with such a 
hedge is to cut it down to such a height 
that it will make a good fence, and to stuff 
the weak points with the brushwood cut 
out of the hedge. The result of this is a 
strong growth of straight twigs from 
around the cut ends of the old stumps, no 
growth to speak of near the base, where it 
is required, and no growth at all at the 
stuffed point. A hedge that has got weak 
at the bottom should be cut down practical¬ 
ly to the ground. All blackberry bram¬ 
bles should be rooted out as well as possi¬ 
ble, as they are a source of weakness in a 
hedge. A blackberry brake will stop any¬ 
thing, but in a hedge the brambles grow up 
and lie down across the top, smothering 
the bushes and extending into the fields 
on both sides. As a result, the hedge be¬ 
comes a mass of dead wood after a while, 
and requires renovation. 
Where a gap is found in the hedge, the 
bush at one side is trimmed of all its 
branches, and cut partly through, close to 
the ground with an upward cut, on the side 
away from the gap. This cut should be 
sufficiently deep to allow the stem to be 
bent to the ground without breaking off. 
If the laid stem reaches across the gap and 
beyond the next strong bush, it may be 
pegged down with a strong hooked peg 
In writing to advertisers please mention House and Garden. 
