Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-08-27

ldGnt oil the DO I'd OF trustees, to whom all
communications upon the subject may DO adj
dressed.
WHAT OF THE Usage ORANGE Tin response
to inquiries, we promised in our June number
to give special attention TO this plant during
our Western travels. We havo done so, and
after seeing the plant in almost every stage Of
growth, in avariety of situations, climate, &C.,
in seven or eight different States, and after
conversing with great number who have tried
il or are now doing so, we confess to being
more unsettled than ever in regard to the gem
eral adAptability of the Usage Orange for hedg
Ing. In short, we have not yet that faith in it
which would lead us to be at the expense of
planting ont five hundred rods of 1t, in any
place or under any circumstances where there
was any other resort whatever for fencing. We
expect this statement will call forth strong pro-
tests, for we have visited few localities where
the plant now promises 10 succeed, and we
doubt not IL will sometimes be successful, but
we certainly speak within due limits, when we
say that so far the failures have lar exceeded
the cases of success. 1t would greatly exceed
our limits to note particularly the several ex-
aminations we have made, and we can only
speak in general terms.
Out of AZ hedges we examined, 20 were
badly injured by frost, either last winter or the
winter before z were considerably injured, and
slightly so. OF the ID apparently uninjured,
| / were sheltered BY hill sides, groves, or by
snow banks produced by adjacent fences. We
| heard Of several others uninjured, but did not
| see them.
We met but three persons who had tried
| them, and who were not interested in the
| sale Of plants or to sustain reputation fol
past statements, who were ready to give them
their present hearty endorsement. A gentle
map in the Great Miami Valley, (Western
| Ohio,) showed us very good hedge on the
east side Of hill and sheltered by it. He
| seemed to have confidence in the plant, and
stated that a number of farmers in the vicinity
| were putting out new plots.
| Another i'll Western New Y orlS, has young
hedge which has escaped freezing, and he is
confident that he Plant will flourish there
| Another in Central Illinois, has hedge now
three years old from the setting which though
| a little nipped by frost Is sending out new
| shoots, and the owner is so confident Of success:
that he is preparing to plant out two miles.
| A large land holder, near Knoxville, ILL.,, in
formed us tat he had intended to plant several
| miles, but since the results of last winters
| irosts have been developed, he has given up
all idea OF trying this hedge plant, and he is
ROW looking around for a substitute.
| An intelligent farmer in Kendall County 1il.,
| who has been Watching this plant since its first
| Introduction, and who has made long journeys
| of observation to settle the question for him
| self, said to us 81 have come to the conclu-
| sion that the Usage Orange will answer for a
! hedge, so long as you have good rail fence
on one side and board fence on the Other"
| Others, in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, express
4 sed similar opinions. Many think thore is no
| doubt but good hedge may be produced with
! the Usage Orange i! it is carefully attended to
! for IL few years. But here is one great diff
| Guilty.
The experiment Of planting hundred miles
l II I D,sla how Aul
i so loudly some two years since, was commen-
\ ced, but is given up entirely we believe, and
the portion planted is proving failure, "ior
| want Of care," it is said.
! We have thus expressed our present opinion
4 of this plant, a very few OF the practical rea.
sons therefor. Just such a hedging plant as
! the Usage Orange has been represented TO be,
| is greatly needed and so great is the want
| that we will still cling to the hope that in many
| localities it will flourish. The almost constant
| care required will in any case be an objection
| but not fatal one we trust, over millions of
acres almost or quite devoid OF fencing mate
| rails.
We shall be glad to hear from our readers
| of this topic. We want facts however-Dot
| opinions, unless such opinions are exceedingly
well fortified by facts. Let lis endeavor to as
certain under precisely what circumstances of
| soil, latitude, climate, exposure or protection,
grown 10 sufficient haight and thickness to
form a safe and reliable hedge. Let MS know
what expense, including OUTLAWS Of time as well
Ms money, is required to bring the hedge to a
useful condition, and also how much care is an
nually needed thereafter.
In the meantime, while we cannot at present
| advise any one to enter largely into the use o.
| this plant, we think it desirable that expert
,renis should he continued. Half dozen year.
or less will settle the question. Almost an.
one can readily put out border of ten, twent,
ar thirty rods in length, and himself test it
adaptednesS to his circumstances and locality
This might be done in different places, by Far
mars' Clubs or Associations. Such expert
mentswould be OF evenmore interest and valu
to community, than the best conducted ex
hibitiuns, though neither should be neglected
p. s. Since the above was put in type, W
have been looking over some hundreds of let
tiers, accumulated during our absence, and il
these we find several quite favorable allusion
TO the Usage Orange, with few not so iavora
BILE. We shall examine these more CAREFUL
hereafter. Amer. .Agricu LHrist.