American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-01-23
Gbc farm..& Q5atoen,
The Pyracanthus as a Hedge
Plant


From the Southern Horticulturi't
Much has been said and written about
.his paluable hedge plont-much too
tina, is simply theoretical. Such asser.
tops as 1--WE know if the plant is even
feet apart onigood land, it will inter
lock-" are true enough. but tend lie de-
ceive those who may wish to make
hedge. for it will certainly not make
reliable hedge at feet nor at feet.
The following practical hints may serve
to convey, to those who wish to make
beige, some idea of the mode OF culture
to be pursued with this plant
The cuttings should be prepared by
trimming off all the lateral shoots-the
largest of which will answer for cuttings
and cut from 6 to 8 inches in length.
Prepare the ground by throwing up
he'd similar to that for corn or cotton,
feet wide, pulserize to the depth of or
10 inches-deeper would be betteT--and
if not sufficiently rich to produce 20
bushels of corn per acre, manure with
compost OF equal parts OF leaf mold and
stable manure with little ashes; harrow
off smoothly and upon this plant the cut
sinrs in TWO rows one foot apart, SO as TO
hoe between them and l2 inches apart III
the rows alternately thus n y
The planting can be done at any lime
during the transplanting season, but the
Aest time is from the middle Of January
to the FIRST of March.
After the cuttings or plants are set out
they will need no further attention than
keeping the weeds and grass down and
the land in a friable condition.
The first pruning should not be given
until the plants or cuttings have grown
one year in the hedge row, the best
time to do this is in February just before
the buds begin to swell. when the tops
should be Gu! of to within three inches
VI the ground.
The second cutting back should be done
one year after the first, for where summer
pruning is prscticed on young plants be-
fore they are well rooted aud thoroughly
established, the hedge receives check,
from which it will be years in recovering
at this pruning cut back 10 four inches
above the first. We now have two year
old hedge that is we'll established and will
do to build upon, and one too that will
stand sum mer pruning without detrlment
to the health of the plants.
Some recommend shortening in the
laterals, but this should never be done .
until the hedge is the proper width, which .
will be about the third year, The time
for summer trimming depends somewhat
upon tie season, though usually about
the middle Of May, when the new growth
has attained to or 6 inches, is the best
il the shoots are allowed to grow longer
before cutting back, the plants will receive
q greater shock and will consequently be
longer in commencing to gro" again
always select. rainy time as this Is de-
cided advantage and by little precsutlon
in this matter much can be gained IN
Fastening the hedge to maturity. Many
and great mistakes are made in trying to
build up too fast never at auy time cut
more than or 5 inches above the last
cutting 10 fact 10 this cause more than
to any other may be attributed the failures
in hedge making. Our hedge is now
only some 9 inches high but good, and
if the season is favorable one We can,
in one year from this time, add 10 inches
more, as two trimmings caa be gwen
during the summer and one III February
when the hedge will be three years old.
We can now build faster and with pro-
per management our hedge will do to
turn out in Just one year more. Thus in
four Years we have useful, beautiful
and permanent fence Of the bes: and
most reliable hedge plant in the country,
the Pyracsnthus, 4. h. N.