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would hardly be poffible to contrive a practice that would be more prejudicial to it than this is.

The chief properties that conftitute the excellence of a hedge, are ftrength and clofeness. Now, a hedge can be made strong by nothing else than the vigour and fize of the principal ftems of which it is compofed. But, it is evident, that, by cutting the tops of all the radical fhoots, each of them is forced to send out a great many fmaller ones, as in a pollard-tree; and each of these small ftems being cut again and again, are divided into still smaller and more numerous ramifications, till the number of these are increased to fuch a degree, and their fize, of confequence, fo much diminished, that the hedge may be faid to confift entirely of an infinite number of fmall twigs, closely interwoven with one another, which have not fufficient ftrength to make any confiderable refiftance to a furious bull, who

will

will easily break through any part of fuch a hedge that he may chance to attack, however close it may it may appear to be. But if, instead of being cut in the top, the thorn be allowed to advance upwards without any interruption, its ftem, like that of any other tree, will continue to encrease in fize and ftrength, and, in a fhort time, become fo large as to be able to refift the whole force of any animal that we may have occafion to fear. They even, in time, become fo large as to occupy almost the whole space that was originally left between the plants, fo as to form a folid vegetable wall (if I may use that expreffion) which it is almost impoffible for any force to overturn. It is, therefore, obvious, that cutting the top of a hedge, when young, tends greatly to diminish the strength

of it.

It will, perhaps, be a more difficult task to convince the reader, that this practice likewife tends to diminish the thickness of the

hedge;

hedge; although, I flatter myself, that I fhall be able to demonftrate this as clearly as the other.

When the principal ftem of any tree is cut over, the fap that would have gone to encrease the size of its top, being stopt in its afcent, forces out a great many shoots all round the stem, immediately below the place where it has been cut over. And, when this is the cafe with a hedge, the number of shoots that are crowded together draw the fap so powerfully to that place, and occafion fuch a deep shade below it, that all the horizontal shoots that had fprung out from the ftem near the roots, being deprived of their nourishment, and the influences of the air, are checked in their growth, and in a short time totally perish; leaving the stem at the root quite naked and bare *. And, as there

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* As those who have not paid much attention to the growth of trees, may, perhaps, be at a lofs to

com

are, from that period, no branches fpringing immediately from the under part of the stem,

comprehend the full force of the argument made ufe of, I fhall here fubjoin a few obfervations tending to illuftrate it more clearly.

The principal ufe of the branches of a tree, is, to pump up the fap from the roots, and diftribute it properly through the whole plant; fo that the health of the tree, and form of the trunk, in a great measure depend upon the proper arrangement of thefe. Every branch carries off from the stem a part of the nourishment that is imbibed by the roots; and altho', in its paffage, it ferves to augment the fize of that part of the flem that is below it, yet the parts that are above it receive no addition from the fap that is pumped up by this branch; fo that, if some branches are allowed to remain upon the stem near the root, and others at regular diftances above one another to the top, the under part of the ftem will be of a confiderable fize, and it will taper gradually upwards, fo as to ftand extremely firm and fecure. But, if all the branches are at once lopped away from the ftem, and it is allowed to remain naked to a confiderable height, it continues nearly of the fame fize from the root to the part where the branches begin to fet out;

and,

ftem, to detain the fap in its paffage, and make that part of it encrease in its fize, it

there

and, being thus fo long and flender, it is not of a fufficient ftrength to support the top, so as to be, in many cafes, bent down towards the ground, and continue to grow in a diftorted and languifhing condition. This is more particularly observable in the broad· leaved Scots elm, and the freeft shooting pear-trees, than in any other fpecies of trees that I know: But the fame phaenomenon is obfervable in all trees, in a finaller or great degree, according to the vigour or pliability of their shoots.

But, as the fap always more naturally afcends in an upright than in a lateral direction, if, by any. means, several strong fhoots are made to spring from any part of the ftem, these affume an upright direction, and continue to draw away a great deal of nourifhment to themselves; fo that the weaker horizon. tal fhoots below them, not being able to attract to themselves a fufficient quantity of fap, they begin to languish, till at length, more and more weakened by the shade and dripping of the branches above them, they gradually fall away. Having thus, for a time, helped to encrease the fize of the under part

of

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