Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-12-14
osage Orange as q Hedge !

County Agricuitaroi Society. at is De.
csmJer meeting -Questioa' Tie Usage
Orange for Hedging
A. b LiSE, could not speak from
personal experience. as. in his wooden
country. he had not yet needed u
hedge. He had, however, taken some
pains to notice the hedges Of others.
and the result Of his observation and
inquiry was that they would succeed.
although he could not speak of their
cost.
JonN =. BRADY regarded the subject
as OF the utmost importance, for many
reasons. II the Usage Orange can be
made into hedge, Il is important that
that fact should be known. as hedges
or some other substitutes for rail fences
were becoming necessary, not only in
prairie lands, but in the older settled
woodlands. He had been engaged in
the cultivation Of hedges some FIVE or
six years, and yet the question of the
utility and economy Of hedges, not to
say their practicability, was not fully
settled in his own mind. From his
present experience, he is convinced
that fences are cheaper and better.
phere tie timber can Be obtained, but
even now, in sone parts Of this coun-
ty, it is difficult to procure timber. and
the want must increase, instead Of de-
crease.
His observation and experience had
convinced him of one fact, at least
Hedges will not grow without great
labor. particularly the first and second
years. No man should plant more
hedge at one time than he can cult
vate, as he would nm onion bed. 1t
must be set out as carefully, and kept
as free from weeds. If, when the
plant begins to sprout, one here and
there is dead, il should be Immediate
ly removed. and vigorous plant in
serted in its stead. He first began, by
planting six inches apart, relying on
| the lateral branches that come out af-
ter clipping to Gil up the openings, and
for several years he thought they
would. but further observation has
convinced him that these branches
are not to be relied on, for they all
fall of in a few years, and leave but
one main stalk. He now plants only
four inches apart aud relies only on
the one stalk for protection against
pigs. Hehas been in the habit Of clip
ping two or three times year. but he
does not intend to do so any more,
unless he gets new light on the sub
ject. Atpresent he intends TO let his
four inch hedge grow without clipping
at all.
Ho is satisfied that an imperfect
hedge is nuisance, and should be
grubbcd up without delay. Itcanuo,
mended by replanting. From his OBJ
servation he thiuks that two thirds OF
the hedges now planted must bc aban'
doned and cut Up, and then, if the far
mer wants hedge, he must be will
ing to pay the price Of it, by being
willing to cultivate it, as he would q
row of onions. for al least two years
| G. f. CLARKsoS regarded the ques-
ton Of fences as the most important
question that can come before the
farming community Of the Mississippi
| Valley. More capital is already inves
ted in fences, than in all the other i'm
provements on the farms, and NOR,
than in the improvements and origina
cost OF the land together. in some
parts. In New England, where it il
necessary to remove the stone from th'
surface Of the soil, in order to get
chance to plant, it is convenient ant
cheap to make stone fences. They
can't do any thing with the stone, bu
to heap them up in rows that they cal
: fences. In the immediate vicinity O
} mountains that are covered with pine
| forests, and that are not tillable, an,
: which will reproduce pines as fast a
theyare cut off. fences from timber ma,
J be relied on, for all time to come. bu
in this Valley, where every acre cal
and win be cultivated. the question O
I fences acquires an importance il cal
: have no where else. and he thinks
5 time to be discussing the question
: whether il would no be better to d.
I without fences altogether. 1t mus
come to this. ultimately.
He was once very sanguine in ref
erence to the Usage Orange. He ha
been trying it about years. and
about ready to pronounce il failure
The best hedge he knows of in thi
county is William Baird's. The hedg
Of Col. Miller. in Union county.
probably better than Mr.. Baird's. an,
yet !, will not turn cattle very success
fully.
Eight years ago next spring, he plan
ted few rods Of hedge around pan
ofhis garden. He planted itsix inche
apart and cultivated il well. He Il
II it grow one year without cropping. an
$ the next year he bent il down and woy
IS it together. An upward shoot starte
:: from each leaf, and he thought III
g-.I f..a T.. N