Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-12-25
CITY OF GLASGOW.
Thursday Morning, December 95, 1851.
For the Times.
Usage Orange, or Bodark Hedge Plant.

Usage Orange, or Bodark Hedge Plant.
This shrub, almost unknown until within
the last three years, is fast becomiug an i'm
portant agent in the progress of the West.
Our broad and fertile prairies, where Ma
ture has been so lavish of her Bouuties, have
hitherto labored under one and one only Sc
rious impcdiment to their prosperity, in the
great labor and expense which attend the
building of fences, where good rail timber
is SO scarce, and where, as is often the case,
the rails have to be hauled several miles
This great difficulty seems now about to be
obviated, and our many thousands of acres
of fertile prairie lands distant from timber
must rapidly increase in value; for either
coal, or small trees sufficient for fuel, can
in general be everywhere obtained, and the
Usage Orange shrub seems TO be the great
desideratum so long required for cheap live
fences.
In three years from the time oftransplant-
ing this shrub is said to make an excellent
hedge; which by means of its thickly in
terlacing branches, armed with numerous
sharp thorns serves as an efficient barrier
against all kinds of stock. 1t is better than
rail or wire fence, since when once built,
it is permanent; for the Oak trees Of our for
ests, are said TO be not more durable.
In various parts of the neighboring state
of Illinois, where praires abound the Usage
Orange has been successfully introduced
Near Jacksonville in Morgan Co. the very
heart of the best and richest farming region
of that State, DR.. Turner has for several
years kept up an extensive Nursery, supply
ing the farmers of that region with shunbs
for hcdges-some of the hedges have now
arrived at maturity, the most intelligent prnc-
teal farmers of that region are fencing their
farms with it, and the new live fence is fast
increasing in popularity.
The Usage Orange is native of the north
eastern part oil Texas, where it grows wild
in the region watcred by the Sulphur Fork
and the Bolark, two small tributaries Of Rec
River; from the name of one Of these small
streams, it is frequently called Bodark
!. though more generally known as Osag'
Orange.
The gathering and getting out of the seed
is a laborious and tedious process; similar
though not quite SO tedious as the getting ou
c of apple seed would be; and this, added I
: the fact that the easiest way ofgetting it here
If is by bringing it overland 600 miles in wag
IS ons, causes this seed to be sold here at price
which seem TO most persons extravaganza
high. This high price frequently induce
those who happen to have on hand seed tn;
is old and worthless, to sell it for new-in
posing upon the purchaser, who soon learn
from experience the important fact, TIN
II ii there is no certainty Of the Usage Orang
or seed coming up, unless planted the ne'
rs spring after it is gathered.
is, April is the proper time, for transplan
ing the shrubs from the Nursery into Il
- hedge-row-this is a simple and easy oper
tion-it is necessary however, TO previous
0t prepare the ground, Ga strip of land son
Of six feet wide, making it extremely ly mello
III with the plow and harrow. In open al
= exposed situations, where cattle run at larg
:" it is necessaryto protect the young hedg
in plants, during the first summer after tran
planting, by laying pole or rail along ca
- side ofthe hedge-row, close to the plants,
order to prevent cattle and horses from ste
ing ping upon them--but after the first seasc
o, OF the hedge needs no protection whatever,
sh, the sharp thorns constitute an ample
G Ger- fence.
led We learn that Richard Vaughan of Sail
ing county, a brother of DIR. Vaughan ofthis ci
has upon his farm, some sixteen miles W
-. of Glasgow, an Usage Orange Hedge nea