the young plants, in front, without an additional fence.

THE manner of executing it is this: The groundmay either be prepared by fallowing with the plow, or the work may be lined out upon the unbroken ground. In either cafe, the plants fhould be fet upon the natural level of the foil, and at the distance of three to twelve inches from the brink of the ditch. This, in ordinary fituations, fhould be about four feet, fay a quarter of a rod, wide at the top, and being brought to an angle at the bottom (or as near an angle as tools can bring it), its flope or fides fhould be about the fame dimenfions; the cavity of the ditch being made, as nearly as may be, an equilateral triangle. But, if the ditch be wanted as a main drain or common fewer, its width should be confiderably greater; for, in this. cafe, it cannot be pointed at the bottom, and muft therefore have a fufficient width given it, at the top, to admit of its being made deep enough as a fence, and, at the fame time, wide enough, at the bottom, to admit the given. current of water. The bank should rife in front, with a flope fimilar to that of the ditch; but as the back fhould be carried more upright at the foot, fwelling out full towards the top, in order to admit the infertion of a brush hedge; or, rather, if it can be conveniently had, a dwarf ftake-and-edder

Hedge,

Hedge, which will effectually compleat the fence to the bank fide; in either cafe, if any ftraggling fpray overhang the young plants, it should be trimmed off, with some sharp instrument, or be beaten flat with the back of a fhovel, to prevent its injuring the tender fhoots.

THE third method, namely, planting without a ditch, is more particularly recommended for upland fhallow ftony foils. In executing this, the ground must be previously marked out, from four to fix feet wide, be reduced to a fine tilth, and made perfectly clean, either by a whole fummer's fallow, repeatedly ftirred with the plow, or by cultivating upon it, in a husbandlike manner, a crop of Turnips, or, which is perhaps better, a crop of Potatoes; efpecially if a little dung can be conveniently allowed them. At the approach of winter, the foil being fine and clean, and the crop, if any, off, gather it up into a highifh round ridge or land, and thus let it lie till the time of planting; when, opening a trench upon the ridge or middle of the land, either with the fpade or the plow, infert the plants, upright, filling in the mold, and preffing it gently to the roots, in the common nursery

manner.

THE fame precautions fhould be observed, in planting quickfets, that have been already recommended

mended, under the article TRAINING; namely, the plants fhould be forted, as to their fize, and fhould be either cut off within a few inches of the ground, or be pruned up to single stems,

THE distance fhould be regulated by the age and strength of the plants; from four to fix inches is the ufual diftance; but if the plants have been previously transplanted from the feed bed, as they ought in general to be, and have acquired four or five years of age and strength, as we would always wish they fhould, from fix to nine inches is near enough,

THE usual TIME OF PLANTING is during the fpring months of February, March, and April; and, for the Hawthorn, the Crab, and the Aquatics, this is at least the most convenient season; but, for the HOLLY, as will be found under that article, in the ALPHABET OF PLANTS, fummer is the pro perest time of planting.

WHERE much ditching is required, and hands fcarce, the foundations of the banks may be laid, any time in winter, and left to fettle, until the time of planting.

THUS far, we have been fpeaking of raifing SINGLE HEDGES, whether of Hawthorn, Crab Bufh,

or

(

or Holly; we will now fay a word or two, as to the method of raising the HOLLY UNDER THE CRAB OF HAWTHORN. This may be done two ways; either by fowing the berries, when the quick is planted; or by inserting the plants themselves, the ensuing. midfummer. The firft is by much the fimpleft, and perhaps, upon the whole, the best method.. The feeds may either be scattered among the roots, of the deciduous plants, or be fown in a drill in front of them and if plants of Holly be put in, they may either be planted between thofe of the Crab, &c. or otherwife in front, in the quincunx manner; the tablet of the offset, when a ditch is made use of, being left broad for that purpose.

IF the FURZE be made ufe of, as an affiftant Hedge wood, it is better to fow the feed on the back of the bank, than upon the top of it; for, in this cafe, it is more apt to overhang the young plants, in the face of the bank; while, in the other, it is better fituated, to answer the purpose intended namely, that of guarding the back of the bank, as well as of preventing its being torn down by cattle. The method of fowing the feed is this: Chop a. drill, with a fharp spade, about two thirds of the way up the back of the bank, making the cleft gape as wide as may be, fo as not to break off the lip; and having the feed in a quart bottle, ftopt with a cork and goofe quill, or with a perforated wooden stopper,

/X3-15-23

per, trickle it along the drill; covering it by means of a broom, drawn gently above, and over, the mouth of the drill. This is better than clofing the drill entirely with the back of the fpade, the feeds being fufficiently covered, without being fhut up too clofe, while the mouth of the drill is left. open, to receive the rain water which falls on the top of the bank. One pound of feed will fow about forty ftatute rods. What in Norfolk is called the French feed is the beft, as the plants from this feldom mature their feeds, in this country; and: confequently are lefs liable to fpread over the adjoining inclofure. It may be had at the feed shops, in London, for about fifteen pence a pound.

Ir a fence be required of Furze alone, a fimilar drill fhould be sown on the other fide of the bank; and when the plants are grown up, the fides fhould. be cut alternately.

II. THUS much as to planting the FENCE; We now proceed to the method of planting HEDGEROW TIMBER. It has already been given in opinion, that no fituation whatever is better adapted to the raifing of fhip timber, than Hedges; and we are clearly of opinion, that, in these alone, a fufficient fupply, of crooked timbers at least, might be raised, to furnish perpetually the Navy of Great

Britain.