Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-01-27
Hedges.

snip, III tnlS county, coh'i io"'e' w
the Dubuque Times the following
practical hints upon the cultivation
of hedges:
"While either Usage Orange,
Lombardy Poplar, Cottonwood and
White or Powder Willow will grow
into a good hedge, l have decided
preference for Cottonwood and Will
low, and would prefer the latter to
any other, and will speak only Of
that, although amy who may have
any OF the other varieties planted,
will much improve. their hedge by
laying down as l will direct. In
preparing the ground for my hedge,
| pillow feast QUIT three burrows on
each side, and throw out a deep
subsoil furrow in the centre, into
which | deposit a good supply OF
well rotted manuye; covering the
same by turning back the burrows,
thereby making ridge for planting
and deep enough that cuttings ten
to twelve inches in length will not
touch the manure by three inches.
Never plant farther apart than six
inches, and leave only the tips of
the cuttings above ground. Plant
no cuttings less than half an inch in
thickness, and ten to twelve inches
in length, and plant as soon as the
frost is out Of the ground. Make
calculations to cultivae thoroughly
to the sides of the hedge; and if 4
dry season, mulch, being careful to
leave two or three inches on each
side of the cuttings free from straw
or weeds, that the young growth
may shoot freely. By following the
above directions strictly, in four
years at the longest, the hedge will
be ready to Iay down. the growth
will then measure from two to three
inches in thickness ut the root and
ten to fifteen feet in height. III LAY
ing down commence at one end Of
the hedge, selecting the strongest
plants, and from the very centre Of
the row, as standards or stakes to
braid into; leave these standards
four and half feet in height, and
secure as many as your hedge will
allow of, say Is inches apart, as the
greater the number Of stakes the
stronger the hedge. All growth not
used as stakes, cut as close to the
ground as possible, and if laying
north or south cut the plants on the
east or west side, and rice re,sn, be.
cause if cut in the direction Of lay
ing, it will most likely break the
bark on the opposite side from the
cut. In laying down the plant, ii
of any size and has been cut on the
reverse side from the way it is be-
ing laid, will split far up into the
sapling. Cut, therefore, rs directed
above, and the wound will be COW
cred by half-twist of the plant in
laying it over, thereby excluding
all moisture from the wound. | cut
the bark always, even when the
plant could be bent over without
cutting, as by so doing three or
four shoots will be thrown off from
the wound, thereby thickening the
hedge from the bottom, but eat only
aouqh IN -. s-'oogeSt to allow you
to lay the sapling lown. You will
see by selecting the very centre as
stakes You can gather in stray and
crooked shoots to weave or braid,
which ought to be taken and wove
around the stakes alternately from
each side. Always braid your lay
rrs uniformly around the standards,
laying down to the ground at first,
regularly tapping the layer. The
length of the sapling will enable
you to keep the weaving perfect for
ut least four feet in height. In leav-
ing plants for stakes it is not neces-
sary to cut of the tops, all may be
used, lay it over and braid like the
others. Gathering from the outside
toward the centre strengthens and
keeps your hedge straight, as at
each wound young shoots will be
thrown off. Lay down and trim
from hedge only in the fall, when
the sap is going down. Then all
the wounds will be healed and throw
off new shoots the following spring;
never cut in spring, as the growth
will be very much retarded by the
flowing from the wounds of rising
sap. My reasons for cutting all but
stakes close to the ground, is to Sc
cure thickness and strength to the
hedge by the increase of growth
from the bottom. When trimming
the hedge, one year from the time it
is laid over (which will have thrown
off shoots from four to ten feet in
length, and which may be gathered
and preserved for planting the fol-
lowing spring, by pitting like pota-
toes, and thereby securing many
thousands Of the very best cuttings),
cut the shoots six inches from the
stocks, from which wounds Number
less shoots will grow the following
year. IF fields are pastured don't
trim on the inside. Cattle ought to
be kept from the hedge until laid
over
This is no advertisement or pat
cnt light concern, but facts plainly
stated (as far as the writer was
able), showing how any farmer may,
in four years. planting, have Il he ige
which will turn any stock, and live,
no one knows how long. Hundreds
of rods of such hedge can be seen
in this vicinity, which will fully at
test all that has been said Of it.
The hedges on the farms of Mrs. J.
IL. Morgan, J. Hardy, James lIamil-
ton, and others, in this township, to
be fully appreciated must be seen,
amply demonstrating the statement
above, that at five years growth the
fence is good and efficient. For
fencing will any one show us 4 more
excellent way?"