The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-09-13
The Treatment of Young Hedges.

OF late years a discovery has been
made IN the treatmento young hedges,
OF supreme Importance. 1t was the
universal advice, and the general prac-
tlce, TO cut the plants to the ground at
planting, and this part is still right
But the practice went further. The
following summer the growth was cut
back to- make the shoots sprout. ana
perhaps the succeeding winter they
were cut again, and next summer and
winter, and SO on but this we know Is
all wrong. Not only IS it wrong so far
as the making of good stout hedges Is
concerned, but 1t took a good deal Of
money and labor to attend TO it and
it was very natural for the farmer to
say that labor was his great bugaboC.
and II he was to be continually bothered
IN this way he would rather pay double
for lumber fence, and be done with it.
Many who kept TO the faith in con
slant trimming In the hedges youthful
period, found to their sorrow that with
all their labor there would be holes
which would admit dogs, and in time
larger animals; and only those who
had knowledge aud skill enough, aud
tIpe enough to boot, to look we'll after
their hedges, kept on with this way Of
making them.
The FLASHING system followed this.
In this way the plants were allowed to
grow straight up TOR three or four
years after planting, and then each one
cut half through near the ground and
bent over. This presented a series OF
horizontal stems along the hedge line
and made a successful barrier against
lntruders. Only half cut they live.
although making of course "a weakened
growth, and from below the cut a lot
OF sprouts came up, which help to
thlcken the whole mass But although
this way is much superior to the old
fashioned plan in this, that II involves
no labor f1V the first two or three wears.
the FLASHING itself Is a iaborious pro
cess, and, moreover, the result does
not always prove a perfect hedge.
The new plan was foreshadowed i'm a
speech by the agricultural editor of the
Press at Harrisburg some SIX years ago.
and OF which an abstract is given in
Pennsylvania Fruit Growers Societv's
report. 1t was there shown that the
idea that pruning strengthened a tree
was wrong. The branches seem to
grow more vigorously after pruning.
1t IS true, but few years of this treat.
ment shows the true state of affairs.
A dozen willows left to grow unpruned
will make trunks of enormous size. and
probably last fifty years, while the same
willow annually cut down for basket
making purposes, die out IN twenty
five, and hardly even make a trunk
more than a foot or so in diameter.
Knowing, then, how pruning weakens.
We apply the knowledge to hedge cuI-
ture. We want TO weaken it after il
has been made into perfect hedge. but
not before. For a few years we desire
to give it I'll the vigor possible. This
IS obtained by lettingi. entirely alone.
In this way the roots become very
strong after a growth of four or five
years. Then IN the winter. or in the
spring before the leaves have pushed.
We saw or chop it off close to the
ground. The result is a mass of
strong, vigorous growth, which sur
prlses every one. It can be moved
into shape with a scythe the next sum-
mer, ana perfect hedge Is made at
small cost