The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1851-02-21
From the Southern Watch Toacer.
Hedges! Hedges!

4
to get at in parts of our County the Importance
OF successful hedging is becoming more appar-
ent every year. and as have taken consider
able pains to inform myself from every available
source, as to the best method oil cultiyating. the
Cherokee rose for this purpose, and have been
engaged about two years in hedging, with every
prospect oil ultimate success, have incidentally
attracted the attention of a number Of nv &C.
qualntaDces to the subject; and as they have
| repeatedly appledt to me fer information. and
IN order to give it to them in a permanent form.
have drawn No. and now request the pnblica.
ton OF the following paper in the ssWatch
Tower. ! am aware that much prejudice
exists against hedging with the Cherokee rose.
and that many failures have taken place where it
| has been attempted; but am equally aware that
this has been the result, either of careIessness
or erroneous planting and training. But it is
not so much my purpose to find fault with 9th
ers, as TO detail plan; whichif properly carried
out will, in every instance insure success.
Io such, then, as desire what information am
capable of giving, | would say:
FIRST; The ground should be prepared by NOV
ing your rail lence out, so as TO leave about two
ieet between the corner and the drill of the
henge, 10 give room Tor proper cultivation and
training. II you find it necessary to reset your
ience, while the rails are off the ground, it will
be best TO flush up deep with large plow, the
whole space to be occupied with the fence and
hedge, In order to destroy the roots OF brers and
shrubs This will save much time and labor
afterwards in the cultivation of the hedge This
being done, you take good turning plow, and
commence inside the fence, as you would to
throw up a bed for cotton, and when you get
within about two feet of the inside corner, you
coninne running in the same furrow, with the
bar next TO the fence, until you make clear
trench ten inches deep, with the bar side as
near perpendicular as the plough can make it.
Where 1t is not convenient TO use the plow, the
trench can be as we'll made with the spade.
Where you have to cross the natural outlets of
rain water, you should throw up levee Of suffi-
cIent height, and plant the slips on the top, to
prevent them from being overdowed and covered
with mud in their tender state. The upper side
OF the levee should be protected by temporary
post and rail fence, to catch the drift and break
the violence OF the water. A space for one or
more pannels should be left across the channel
Tor the passage Of flood water, where a substan.
tial posi- and rail fence should be kept.
Secondly, The season for planting embraces
the months OF december and January, bu. pre-
fer December, as this gives more time for the
roots toform and grow before the budding season.
prefer the growth of the previous year for slips,
but an older growth will do. The slips must be
about fifteen inches long, and it is most conye-
nlent to cut them the proper length as you take
them from the parent stock. A cotton basket
should be used to receive them; and convey them
IN to the place OF planting; and as it all impor
tant to plant them with the but ends dolcnlcardS,
one side OF the basket should be marked, ard all
the but ends put that way, as they are cut, to
prevent any mistake. The slips must be set up.
right against the bar side of the trench about
two or three inches apart. Then throw in about
three inches in depth of rich soil and tread it
down with the foot; then three inches more in
similar manner, alter which the trench must be
filled with loose SOIL If the land is poor, suf-
fcient quantity Of rich soil or manure should be
hauled to fill the trench with. The slips should
have an average depth of about ten incnes in the
ground and four above.
Thirdly, The cultivation of the hedge, the
first year, is to be done mostly with the hoe and
similar to the cultivation of a row of cotton,
great care being taken not to wound the slips
and newly formed buds with the corner OF the
hoe. When it becomes grassy serape it out on
both sides; the next time draw the dirt to The
drill, and as the year advances, continue TO draw
in the dirt, SO as to form bed of :op soil for it
10 root in afterwards. As you cannot pass the
hoe through the drill, the grass and weeds
are taken from il, by pushing the briers aside
with fiat stick held in one hand, and pulling
them out with the other. 1t is very important,
at all times, TO prevent cane, blackberry briers,
and shrubs of every sort from growing in or near
your hedge. During the first years growth.
such as cannot be reached with hoe, may be
cut up with pocket knife. When the hedge
gets too large for this a sharp chisel with long
handle and mallet will answer the purpose.
They should be cut off at the ground, and If this
is done in the month of August, they are not apt
to put up again You may work your hedge,
when il is too wet to work your crop in powed
ground, and you should give it good working
late in September II your ground is hilly,you
should make sufficient number Of break-waters
to turn the currents of rain water from the drill,
and prevent the washing away Of the soil.
Fourlhly, The next thing in order is the
training process. And here LET me say, once
for all, that the Cherokee rose should be made
to run upon itself, and nothing else. The peg
lect of this all important item, has occasioned
more failures, than, perhaps any thing else.
Many seem to be infatuated with the idea that !
the young hedge must have fence to hold it up. |
And what are the consequeces2 Itsoon beeom-
es impracticable to give it the necessary culti-
vation, consequently IFS growth is retarded; |
shrubs, of various sorts grow up in it, the |
branches of the rose become so intertwined with |
the rails that all proper training is at an end;
and though in process OF time, there is an uD> |
slightly thicket OF roses, blackberry briers, cane
and bushes, sufficient TO keep out horses and |
catile in consequence of the hedge having some /
thing to climb upon, it is SO open below that the
hogs soon learn to break through; and the final
result is, that the hedgeF has neither hedge nor
fence, and no ground to make either on, with
out general clearing off first. / would advise /
ali whose hedges are in this situation, to take +
off what slips they may want to plant this win
Ter, antthen cut down The old stocks within a
oot OF the ground, dig up the cane, bushes. &c,
-e-plant where il is necessary, put up fence
1t suitable distance from it, and commence
NEW to cultivate it properly, and they will
,n0n have good hedge Presuming that you
have now gothic idea that your hedge must
oe trained 10 run upon Itself alone, will now
IetaiEthe process by which this point is secured.
About the month Of June, Of the first year. you
axe a small forked stick in each hand, and with
bese you turn the newly formed branches par
illel with the drill, and interlock them SO that
hey will retain this position; and this should be
lone again about the first Of August, and the
asst Of September. If, however, you intend to
;ut your slips from your young hedge for plant
49, IL,