The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-29
THE MORNING NEWS: MONDAY, MAY 20, 1898

the honey locust. consequently more
tractable as a hedge plant A coming
hedge plant for the same latitude as the
Usage orange, perhaps, and certainly
/ IRON PENNSYLVANIA southwark, is the
CITRUS trlfoliata. becoming known as the
Hardy orange. 1t is early to predict, but
II may rival the Usage orange. The trouble
with both the Usage orange and the
! honey locust is that naturally they make
good-slzed trees. and when used as hedge
plants their naturally strong growth has
TO be combatted. Now the hardy orange
Is in growth like the ordinary orange. It
Is strong enough TO grow as large as a
hedge requires, but it will not need so
much cutting TO prevent its getting too
large, as'the others do. 1t is now seeding
freely here from plants set out six or eight
years ago, and as soon as it becomes
plenty there will be big call for this
hardy orange for hedging.
There are many thorny bushes which
| are useful, both as partially defensive
and as ornamental hedge plants. Take,
for instance, the fire bush, Pyrus ia
ponica; the barberry, both the green and
the purple-leaved and the new Japanese
one, Thunbergil; the good old sweet briar
rose, as well as the Carolina and dog rose
Then there is the silver thorn, which be-
longs to the oleaster family. All these
are partly thorny, as well as having. all
foliage or fruit, sometimes all three in the
one plant.
There is hardly a towering shrub but
can be used for the same purpose. | have
seen lines formed of Spirea Reevesii.
Others of Deutzia, double pink, which
looked beautiful. AS a rule, the line
should be all of one kind, where uni
formity is wanted, but when this is of no
consequence, the different-colored flowers
and irregular growths in a line of mixed
shrubs are often most pleasing.
A universal faVOrite now is the rather
new California privet, so-called, though
really, native of Japan. 1t is a rapid
grower, yet a tractable plant; has large,
almost evergreen leaves, not unlike the
EuOnymus japonicus, roots readily from
cuttings, which insures its Cheapness.
Even in severe winters, like the recent
one, 1t retains its leaves, though Drowned
and frozen, so that as a screen il is as
valuable in winter as in summer II
makes splendid hedge.
All these plants want intelligent hand
ling the first few years. The hedge is
made then, not afterward. Let it be any
of those named, they should be cut down
almost to the ground when first planted.
Then, when they start to grow, let them
grow as they will the rest of the season,
to become strong. When winter comes cut
them down again. They should then push
out many shoots from the base, and these
should be pinched off at their points two
or three times during the season to form
the busy base which must be had to OBJ
tain good hedge. When this has been
secured the upward growth may be al
lowed to proceed. After the second cut
ting to the ground, as described, there is
rarely need of third. There must be an
outline maintained all the time of a hedge
broader at the base than at the top. and
all pruning must be done with this in
mind. As a rule two prunings year suf-
tice-one in the fall or winter, to give the
proper outline and to keep it within
bounds; the other in midsummer, to
thicken il by making the side branches
spring out when tops are cut off.
Among evergreens, arbor-vite, hem
lock spruce and Norway spruce are chiefly
used, but many other dwarf ones are often
employed There is no prettier hedge
than one of hemlock and in good soil it is
always sure to do well. Arbor-vitaes are
good where a close growing upright sort
is wanted, as it spreads hardly atall. The
Siberian is good. It's foliage is green all
the time and growth sturdy. 1t rarely
wants any trimming, and, indeed, the
other, the American, requires but very
little, Norway spruce is fitted where a
strong, large growth is wanted.