Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-25
Successful Hedging.

A few weeks ago We drove through portions OF
the States of Delaware and Maryland, and were
surprised to see how universally the hedge was
used asa substitute for fences. One OF our trav-
cling companions was gentleman who was
quite familiar with England, and he would fire.
quently exclaim, "This is like a road remember
in Kent /" OF some other part Of England, so like
was the scenery and the hedgerows. The Usage
Orange may be said to be the universal hedge
as ii is there called, the Black Thorn, and some
other of our native thorns are used. The Usage
orange, however, makes superior hedge; not
only more compact but il prescntsa more pleas
ing green, its lively-iooking foliage, in dusty
times, making more cheerful appearance than
that OF the horns. The thorns belong to the
Rose family, and, like all their relatives, are
subject to the attacks of numerous insects, a
trouble from which the Usage Orange is par
ticularly free. With hedges, as with all other
crops (?) the best results attend the best Guilt
vatiOn, and one can no more hope To grow a
hedge under neglect than he can expect a crop
of corn to successfully contend with the weeds,
and then yield seventy-five bushels to the acre.
The old method of hedge making, that of cutting
back each year, and raising the hedge by regu-
lar stages from a broad base, is well-nigh aban-
doned. In preparing the ground for hedge, it
is necessary to exercise great care in removing
all roots of native shrubs or vines. II the hedge
is to be set upon the site OF an old fence, where
vines and creepers have become established, this
is especially necessary otherwise the Cat Brier,
Virginia Creeper, and similar things will greatly
interfere with the growth OF the hedge. The
plants are set about six inches apart, and kept
carefully cultivated. NtltutT grass nOT Wctus
are allowed to intrude upon the young growth,
and fence OF some kind is put up to protect IL
from injury by animals. The plants are allowed
TO grow at will for three four years, according
70 the growth they have made after which time
they are ''laid down." AS it is called in Delaware,
or ''slashed," as they say out West. This opera
ton is performed in spring, and consists in
bending the plants over and cutting each one
halfway or more through, at point three or four
inches above the surface, and laying it down
upon the preceding one. After this Opervfion
both the partially severed stump and the tops
that have been laid down throw mp innumerable
shoots and form a broad and dense thicket,
which is soon ready to be shaped into the proper
form for a hedge. By this treatment q full,
thick bottom is secured-so thick that a rabbit
can hardly get through it-and several prunings
during the early growth are saved. The after
treatment consists in giving two, and frequently
three, prunings each year. The cutting, being
done while the wood is still soft, is very rapidly
performed. A simple knife, like a corn-cutter,
is the implement generally perferred. The finest
hedges we saw were those upon the estate of ID.
j. Blackston, Esq, Kent county, Md This
gentleman has five miles of hedging, and they
are justly matter of pride to him. He stated
that last year he kept an account of what 1t cost
him to keep his hedge in order. The work was
done by one of his regular hands, and the tim I,
| that he devoted to the hedge came to 500
American A1ricl,ifurisf.