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ployed of two or three years’ growth, and frefli cut off at the time of ufing them.They are then to be put into a narrow ridge of ground, prepared for them, atthe diflance of eight or ten inches from each other, the tops being bent differentways, and plaited firmly together fo as to make a fence *. The grey willow isprobably the beftkind for this purpofe. In fome inftances the fweet-briar mayprobably be mixed with the willow to advantage.
Whatever fort of fence is made in fuch fituations, it is perhaps a good prafticeto raife a pretty high bank with a ditch on each fide, and in fome cafes to planthedges in each face of the bank, fo that it may afford fhelter to them while theyget up, and that afterwards one may prote£l the other, and render their growthmore rapid.
The filling up the deficiency of hedges, of whatever kind they^may be, withdead materials, though a very common practice, fhould be had recourfe to asfeldom as poffible, as the hedges are by this means not only prevented fromthrowing out young (hoots to fill themfelves up, but the dead materials whenthey begin to decay leave larger openings than exifted before they were intro-duced. Where hedges are difpofed to become moffy, the mixing of lime, aflies,or fuch-like fubftances,with the mould of the banks, may frequently be of confider-able utility in removing it.
In fome fituations, hedges made folely of dead materials are had recourfe toas a means of dividing inclofures. This is, however, a practice which, from thegreat expence of forming them, their conftant tendency to decay, and theneceffity they have for annual repairs f, fhould never be adopted when there isa poffibility of raifing living fences, except indeed when they are merely ufed,as has been already noticed, by way of a proteflion to young quick hedges. Forthe former purpofe, the longefl part of the cuttings from living fences, or otherplaces, are wattled by means of (lakes driven into the ground at fixteen oreighteen inches diftance from each other, and bound on the top by meansof afh, hazel, or willow bindings. This is termed a /take and band hedge. Withthe latter intention, the fhorter and more bufhy fort of cuttings are generallyemployed, and either (luck into the ground on the furface, the fide or top of thebank in a (lanting diredlion lengthways of the fence, and inclining a little to-wards the inclofure, or made into a low (lake and band hedge, in the way de-fcribed above. In making this fort of fence, great care fhould be taken not to
* Anderfon’s Eflays, vol. I.
f Thele, in fome inftances, amount to from a fixth to an eighth or tenth part of the rent.