The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-03-01
An Experiment with the Usage Orange.

j. l.. Alexander, of Washington, Ohio,
gives distinc; and accurate statement of an
experiment with hedge, that will afford q
valuable hint to most hedge rGsers. Ills
hedge was cut down during the first three
years, respectively, within six, eighteen, and
thlrty-siN inches Of the ground. AT four
years, 1t was 7 feet high beautiful and inn
passeble, except for small pigs" But it was
not Thick enough at bottom 1t wanted more
side shoo,s-:he cutting produced shoots too
few and too upright--the horizontal branch.
ss were deprived Of yigor by the rapid
growth of the leaders
Armed with stout gloves and a fine tooth
saw, he therefore cut the hedge down
stnmps four inches high. When the first
crop OF shoots from these stumps had grown
three inches, the tips were pinched Oft with
thumb and finger
This stayed their progress until they
could branch again, and it had twofold ef-
iect. FIRST, it formed second tier of branch.
cs just whore they were needed, and where
the old method could have formed them only
after another season, by cutting away almost
whole years growth. Second, it threw
back the sap, which would have pushed up
the rampant leaders, into the dormant buds
on the stump still nearer the ground than
those which first started and were nipped.
These new shoots, in coming IN, had to
spread somewhat horizontally. When they
had grown about the length at which the
first ones were stopped they too were aipp d.
iiy this time lsbout two weeks after the hrs,
pInchiug) those shoots which were first
stopped, were breaking rhickly and beau,-
fully into side branches the leader, Of which
were also pinchcd when they had grown
about four inches, stopping them until, in
TWO weeks, they would branch and form the
third tier, which the Old method would have
got 10y cutting down after another year.
Thus, before the end of the season, not.
withsiandng these checks, the hedge was
again .tour f'ct high presenting a wall of
glossy foliage, and 50 thickly woven through
Out with t"lgS and thorns as to be impassa-
bic by the smallest domestic animals. It is
now two years old from the s,umps, is seven
icet high, and entirely satisfactory.
II should be remarked that the piuching
need not be continued longer than until you
have thickcncd your hedge to the height Of
about three feet After securing this prime
object 1t will require less attention, and Won
can trim and shape il with knife and shears
as you please.
Any one cam in this way, compeltbo Usage
orange hedge TO grow US thick at the bot.
tom as Lc plcasuS.
The advantages arc--that YOU can begin
as 10" as you please, make as many shoots
as YOU please, locate them whore YOU please.
ana S1c'HC tie results ot Hg,c years IN one
'e1'on-l mean IN getting the hedge ,hickly
closed at the bottom
The tender tips Of the Young shoots are
nippcd with great case and rapld.ty, vet ia
treating farm hedges by the r,!c, II NAV
perhaps be sufficient to pass along with a
sharp scythc aud shave oil the tips, repeat.
lng the process once or twice within few
days, when other shoot, have sFtaRg up
high enough. \ single operator v oulI thus
60 over miles in length IN a single day.
Il is recommended that the plants be al
lowed to grow untouched the first year,
tharng b,gu cut down ou setting out. } and
that the second season the pinch.qg and
thjckcning process be commenced 4 hedge
oi large and strong roots, which had been
four years in growing, like that last de-
scrIbcl, would ol course .prng up again
more rapidly than with two year plants, and
more than one year would be required to
produce the same results with the younger
plants.
NeElNc these experiments the more pro-
minCnce, because the great leading cause of
failure IN hedging, i, the want of very free
aud Iudlcious cutting back. Neglected cul.
tgation is nearly as formidable cause OF
failure, but is very simple process, aud re.
quircs no specific directions. ~ tomtry Gn.
ii,m0u.