Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1888 — A Good Hedge Fence. [ARTICLE]

A Good Hedge Fence.

For general purposes the common American arbor-vifce is one of the best hedge plants, as it thrives on almost all kinds of soils, from those of swamps to the high, dry, and sandy. The plants can be obtained at very low rates—are not at all difficult to make live, and as they grow up may be sheared into any desirable form. It is true that the foliage turns brown in winter, but in summer it assumes a bright green, and holds this well till late in autumn. The plants should be transplanted in spring, and the distance apart at which they should be set in a hedge, depends upon their size. As a rule they may be placed so that their lower branches will just touch when the plantß are in position. If the branches spread two feet, then the main stems should be set two feet apart in the row. The height of the plants is not to be considered, because if raised in nur—scry er&w&ed, tbey will be tall and slender, and require severe prunings to force out the side branches and secure a good breadth to the hedge at the base. When the plants are set out in the hedge row the first pruning should be given them with a pair of hedge shears, cutting the top or leading ‘shddfs 'ainb one height, and cutflng in the side branches to a straight line, thereby giving a somewhat rough outline of the future hedge. The form of .the hedge should always be broad at the bottom and tapering up to the top, with

a slight oval shape, thus forming an ovate cone. With this form snows will not lodge on the hedge in winter as it always will when pruned with a flattop a practice far too common in pruning evergreen and other hedges. All other kinds of evergreen hedges should be planted and pruned as directed for the arbor-vita.