September, 1909 
House and Garden 
107 
not do more harm than good, especially if the sprinkling is 
followed by a hot sun. 
Save all possible material about the garden for mulch. 
Lawn clippings, chopped straw or leaves, and old flower 
stems cut small, will be found useful. Any of this material 
placed about plants, leaving space around the roots to admit 
air, will prove of great assistance in the retention of moist¬ 
ure. A hot or dry weather mulch is intended to keep the 
sun's rays from the upper sod but not to shut out the air. 
If any particular choice plant about the yard shows signs 
of distress from the heat or drought, remove a few inches 
of the top soil around it, leaving a narrow rim about the 
plant however, and then make a few holes with a sharp 
stick, leading towards the roots. Pour water into the 
cavity made by the removal of the top soil until the ground 
has soaked up so much water that no more will soak away. 
Crumble the removed soil as finely as possible and place it 
back into its former place, but do not pack it. This simple 
process wilKoften save some valuable and rare plant. 
About the next most important phase of the garden work 
will be the fall planting of bulbs,both for indoor and out¬ 
door culture. The subject will be given further considera¬ 
tion in the next issue of this magazine. In the meanwhile, 
if bulb culture is to be carried on even to only a limited 
extent, there are some necessary primary preparations to 
be looked after. It is just as well to arrange these pre¬ 
liminaries now. 
Failures are usually due to lack of proper treatment 
both in planting and culture. Get together a liberal 
supply of proper soil and a supply of pots. Have 
the soil very rich, loamy and free from small stones. A 
liberal quantity of powdered charcoal will be a desirable 
addition, as it acts both as an aid to drainage and purifies 
the soil, preventing souring. If the new catalogues have 
been received it is a good time to begin considering a 
selection, and in making the selection keep in mind the fact 
that small bulbs should be grouped; half a dozen or more 
planted together give more satisfactory results than when 
the same number are planted singly. It is only bulbs 
that produce large flowers and foliage that make a fairly 
presentable appearance when grown singly. Soft-baked, 
porous, wide-mouthed, shallow pots are usually preferable 
for bulb culture. 
Fence vs. Hedge 
I AM just about completing a suburban place which 
I intend to occupy as a home. I am undecided as 
to whether to enclose the front of the lot with a fence or 
a hedge. Which would you suggest? If a hedge, of what? 
When and how should the plants be set? Kindly answer 
at once. R. O. C. 
Wilmington, Del. 
A hedge in preference to a fence every time! You do 
not indicate, but I surmise your place is like ninety-nine 
out of every hundred new places — all the natural tree 
growth cut away, leaving a full sun exposure. The presence 
of some permanent substantial green growth about the 
home is very essential. The hedge adds much to the 
California privet is the most popular hedge plant. A thick 
side growth is essential to beauty and trimness 
attractive appearance of a home. It requires a minimum 
of attention in the way of cultivation and pruning to keep 
it in good shape after it is once established. 
The California privet is the most popular hedge plant. 
It is a vigorous grower, compact and regular in form, with 
glossy foliage of a beautiful shade of green. It does well 
in any soil in the sun or shade, and is entirely hardy, with¬ 
standing a temperature of 20 degrees below zero. It is not 
affected by dry weather nor is it molested by insects. 
The ground should be well prepared for the growth 
of the shrubs or trees. A trench from 6 to 8 inches deep, 
12 to 18 inches wide, should be dug the entire length the 
hedge is to be made. In digging the trench be sure to keep 
the top-soil separated from the clay or sub-soil. The plants 
should be set from six to eight inches apart and filled in 
around the roots with the top-soil, to which may be added 
a small portion of pulverized sheep manure, and firmed 
down with the feet. Some prefer a double row hedge, 
in which case the trench should be wider and the plants 
set alternately, six or eight inches apart. With the double 
row method an excellent hedge can be obtained in a re¬ 
markably short time. Fill the trench to within an inch 
of the surface level and then apply a heavy mulch of long 
stable manure. This will answer as a mulch during dry 
weather and at the same time greatly stimulate the growth 
of the plants. 
A first requisite of a good hedge is numerous side branches 
at the base. To secure this the plants should be pruned 
(Continued on page 12) 
