The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-14
ENGLISH FENCES AND HOUSES.
brcnd-sprea ding Trees nnd Fragrant Hedges
Tile and Slate Roofing.

| wooden fences an ugly feature in tho landscape
| They often speak. too. OF the American disposi-
| ton 20 cut down all tho trees, aud leave the
| fields absolutely bare. Probably no landsrape
| in the world cxcels tho English and IL il cnsv
| to SEQ that s charming diversity is very largely
| owing to the great care Tint has been every
| where taken tn save just enough trees 10 give n
wooded appearance to the country. Worry few
hedge rows are without a fcw troes. and tho
general efiod IL TO give the appearance of n nno
admixturo Of meadow and woodland every
where Tho trees are not often allowed To
seriously shade the ground. but are trimmed to
n considerable height. so that the shadow of the
branches moves about. and allows grain to grow
well about the trunks hence there is no loss OF
ground or injury TO growing crops.
Trees nre valuable. too. in England and the
folling OF tree is matter OF some importance.
Mr.. Gladstone il fond Of chopping down trees
and INDUCES very freely in that pastime. but It
Is not likely TO become popular game. In
deed. 1t Is very common on large estates TO kecp
nm account of all tho trees and to insist on tho
planting OF two for every one that Ia cut down
when tenant Wishes to fell n tree. the consent
Of his landlord must usually he frat obtained
Hedges are the almost universal kind Of fence
except in tho north Of scotland. There il not
the same care To- fence against very small do
nestle animals. such rs pigs. rs in the United
states. and ne hedges are not generally proof
always exceptionally well trimmed regular
and clean. and think England must be- the
best ion,edInot most fenced-country in the
world In the south Of England you may often
travel many miles without seelmg rod If any
other kind Of fence than growing hedge. In
rocky districts there Is always more or less of
stone fence. and occasionally such district has
more stone fence than any other. Then again
certain neighborhOods in hiily, wooded dis
tricts have considerable proportion Of wooden
iences. But these are only local executions Ia
the, general rule. Throughout the entire nrca
ENGLAND "A at laaa fan ill.,, -
ing hedge for ever one Of any other Kind Of
fence whatever. la the lower half Of Scotland
the ratio ia not SO grcnt In favor Of hodges hut
even here living fences outnumber other kinds
Nv at least four or five to one. In the south Of
England, approNimatcly speaking, there are no
districts. " ~ " '''''
Hawthorn is tho plant commonly used for
hedges. Backihorn and few other plants are
used 70 some extent hut very little "a compared
with hawthorn The hawthorn makes very
Which is RnpSa as Mav VI" Ths R as dd lGHGr
tul fragrance. and when the hedges uro in
bloom IN May and the early part Of june the
the blossom is white but ths color il no, uni.
form. The hawthorn is certainly a much more
used in the United states. Berore planting a
hedge row. ditch II usually dug and the oartl
banked ~ little on ono side. On this ridge
the hedge is planted ana the ditch and bank
add TO the height Of the fence.
Living fences have many advantages over
Plants coat very little ns compared with the
material used in buiding wooden stone or
wire fences. The planting, too, j. certainly no
Of fence. Tho only disadvantage IL that II takes
some years TO make good hedge fence. When
once madc, however. it ou,lasis dorm other
fcnccs. Tho matter of economy II no doubt /
largely the renson why li5ing fcnr"s have bo- !
come so universal in Europe. In Belgium aud /
Holland hedges are the prevailing kind Of !
hnre Germany follows what H. probably a /
stu wiser policy In regard 20 fencing There |
stock Is fenced in and not out Germany is /
practically fen relrss country Fields lie open |
T. the road. and usually have no other division !
America will fence differently. AMI The great /
question will then be- No fences at all. as in |
Germany. or living ienrc-. ~ IN Great Britain. |
Hedges are ornamental. while most wooden |
stone. or iron fences really di~hgure the coun- |
try. England owes much Of Iis rustic beauty |
Verdant. and the fences. instead 81 being Il re-
RTrs i ,S en ada to the srdars ara
nowers creep and nestle IN the hedge rows
everywhere. and the fragrant hawthorn bios
country seem Ike one large flower garden.
Ia nothing does Europe present greater
the buildings In the laitrr houses II wood
and even covered with wood. except in cities
and a few of the larger towns. are the rule, In
ihsiand AMI ~ mo greater part 81 the Con-
tnent wooden buildings are rare. and roofs
known. Here wood IL more expensive than
5tone or brick. and that ~ itself gives very
good reason for Ne difference. But fire has
also IA lght these older countries that II l. not
prudent 10 build largely Of wood. and especially |
thai wooden roofs are 10 be- avoided. la Great
Britain wooden r0of-outcr covering Of wool
| mean-seems 10 be a thing quito out % the
question. There i one exception 10 this rule
but il is not an extensive one In the country |
and IN some OF tho Old. smaller towns. roofs II
thatch are not uncommon. The insurance
companies always charge higher rates for in
surpg these than for other houses. Yet these
are comparatively few. and are mostly found in !
tho country whore they do not cndanger other
Houses, both in and out Of the towns nre al
most exclusively Of brick or stone. Roofs are
stone arc also much used. la early times tile
was almost the only thing used. except in dis
TITUS wheLe Ylnrrrs iurnished rough stone
which needed little or no dressing. Recently
slate guarrles have been greatly multiplied.
nni slate In becoming 50 cheap that 1t il largely
taking the place Of tine heavier tile. These
roofs Of tile are very heavy. a. may be- inferrad;
0ui Engl-h houses. only a few years bnck. were
Mat now seem almost ridiculous; hence. those
heavy roofs sell ioln fall in. and country farm
houses hundred years Old seem generally
nave seen many country inn. with only ons
story anu an :tlc. YIN 50 walls wer" close upon
such in Westmoreland, and found the wall
w-nly-seyrn inches thick. have seen. liter:
Mly. hundreds Ilke II. Tho heavy loiSis and
-alters. Of carefully selected OAK, seemed ~
Throughout England. Scotland. and Wales,
generally there are still half n dozen roofs ~
lie 10 one Of any other kind but. rs | said.
nate roots are gaining ground rapidly.
~ level with the roofs Oi the houses aud
,iten above them. As you look about YOU the
general IMPRESSION is that OF q vast sea II tiled
'oofs. In most Of tho newly built districts
ale roofs are most conspicuous, but the dull, |
LILY red Of the tile IL the prevailing color.
me arrangements for putting ont fires in tho
metropolis are not Mt all what they should be.
mi, II buildings were not So universally OF non
nilHmnalle material, fires would surely be
cry destructive. Tho water supply is not ut
llgn pressure. and fire engines are the only
rSpur'r. | saw IN ugly ire in Waiting street
ONE SIX months Hgo, and al least fifteen On
,inrs wero al work upon II. The utility of non
nilalnmable roofs was very apparent. Ada
ent buildings were in not the least danger uA-
cpt rs the fire spread literally. So il is in Eng
lsh towns generally. The roofs expose not the
east bit Of surface that Will take fire. d
In rocky districts, such IA Yorkshire, Ianea-
hire, Northumberland Cumberland. and West
noreland, nag stones are very extensively used .
or roofing In and about Rochdalc, Bla 'Rhurn, ,
nj other towns in the north. | saw plenty II a
ouses covered with flags whose average thick q
cSs was tully al inch and a half .
In Belgium Holland. and GermAny-I cannot Il
peak ut the rest of the Continent positively
be- same cnre Is used 10 guard against lire In
nose countries. as in Great Britain roofs arc
lso very universally Of tile. and wooden roofs
rc nearly unF own, and there. too. tho same
trNngth and thickness ~ walls are common
he more modern buildings seem everywhere
loro lightly built, and less likely to endure.
j. w.