To grow a hedge successfully, a few matters of importance should receive careful attention. First, make choice of good plants, as uniform in size as may be, cutting off the tip of the tap-root, and the top about two inches above the collar; and plant in single row, plants six inches apart, and cultivate as well as one would a row of potatoes. In the spring, one year from planting, cut back to within six inches of the former cut, and the second spring cut again to about nine to twelve inches from the preceding cut; if it grows well leave it about one foot higher each spring at cutting, till it reaches the height desired, giving it at top the desired shape, pointed to the center, and sloping sharply about half way (from top) to the ground.

Spring pruning causes more vigorous growth, while summer pruning checks or retards it; thus the trimming in spring, till the hedge is formed, tends to grow it quickly. Let all future trimming be in summer, which will be easily done while the wood is soft, and check the growth, thus easily keeping the hedge in form with only a small amount of pruning, which should be done two or three times during the growing season, and will thus be less labor than one pruning of hard wood; at all times keep the hedge in more perfect form.