snow. The flatness of the
hedge can be broken by allowing a few leading shoots, 20 or 30 feet
apart, to run up, budding them in August with some of the variegated
varieties. Gold Queen, Waterer's Gold, Silver Queen, and _Argentea
variegata_ are good sorts to use for this.

When a Holly hedge has been neglected for some years cut it back to the
old wood in March or April, and fork in a liberal dressing of manure
around it. It may not make much growth the first year, but will
practically re-establish itself the second.

YEW.--The Common Yew is hard to kill, and easy to prune into various
shapes, as topiary work suggests. Yew is generally used for the inside
of a garden, such as terraces and hedges near the house. It should be
treated in the same way as the Holly, with the important exception of
being clipped in May, as the Yew makes most of its growth in the early
part of the year. In buying Yews, choose rather stunted-looking plants
in preference to those of fresher look and freer growth. The former have
been moved within the last year or two, the latter have stood for three
or four, and become coarse rooted, suffering, therefore, after removal.

ARBOR-VITAE.--For a hedge this and _Thuya gigantea_ can be placed
together. The common Arbor-Vitae is sometimes not liked because it gets
brown in winter, but this colouring is not so pronounced in _Thuya
gigantea_. In preparing the ground little or no manure need be trenched
in, but a dressing of spent manure may be added with advantage. The soil
should be as good as possible, but not too heavy. They may be clipped at
any season, and for the first two or three years twice annually will not
be too often. It is wise to cut off from six inches to one foot of the
leaders every year, otherwise the plants attain a great height without
breadth. If a hedge of these conifers is allowed to become rough and
ragged, it is almost impossible to restore it, as it will not, except in
special cases, break from the older wood.

BOX.--The dwarf edging so largely used for borders and paths needs no
description, but the Common Box is not so largely used because it gets
yellow, the result of sheer starvation, the Box being a gross feeder,
requiring plenty of feeding at all times. It should have a dressing of
manure annually, or at least biennially, to keep it in good health and
colour. It should be clipped in the spring, April or May being the best
months, and a top-dressing about the same time w