The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-03-06
FLASHING RkrGG.

NIT Q few thooghts 10 thoee raIs
ing hedge on the SubjeOt Of plask,
ing. believe this to be the cor
rect method OF treatment, and the
only method that will produce {
fence IN. every way satisfactory
and at less cost Of labor and money
than any other method yet discoY
cred. have reference To Usage
orange hedges.
It is known that the Usage
orange is not shrub, but a third
rate forest tree. Its tendency is
to grow upward with q straight
stem, and to shed its lower
branches and thorns. If planted
closatogether the stems grow very
spindling and in q few years drop
all their lower branches and
sAorns. and . hedge thus managed
has the appearance Of standing
on stills and as barrier against
hogs or sheep IL Is entirely de.
Ecient. Aud thus. notWithstand-
ing it may have received annual
clippings from the time it was set
ia the, ,age OF the olaess hedge
within my knowledge. Now ]
think that every farmer should,
as soon as possible, fence his farm
so that he can turn in his hogs
aud sheep to CLEAN his fields after
harvesting his crops.
Especially should eYery farmer
make his calculations to keep q
few sheep and keep them within
his OWN enclosures to destroy
weeds on his land, and save the
grain that would otherwise go to
the moles and mice. A family
may be clothed in this way out of
what would be lost. But to the
hedge. Set and tend it about
three years, only keeping out the
weeds. Don't cut it back at all /;
only cut on the side limbs that
may reach out in your way, if you
are tending the land next to it.
Now it will be able to take care of
itself and may be let alone for
four years, and will answer a good
purpose as a fence against all
stock ordinarily. At this age the
bushes will be about twelve feet
high and two inches in diameter
at the base.
1t is now ready for FLASHING,
which is done best, as I think, in
the following manner: About
eight to twelve inches apart 1
think the best distance to set the
plants. Begin at one end and cut
of two plants four feet high. Cut
of all branches; bend the next
three plants, cutting them half of
at the ground; weave them in be-
tween the two plants cut OFF as
stakes, cutting of all limbs and
the tops a little beyond the stakes.
Leave every nth plant as a stake
four feet high and bury down and
weave in the intermediate plants,
cutting at the base half of, taking
care not to let them split upward.
Trim OF all brush from those bent
down, as we'll as from the stakes.
1 do this in order that new sprouts
may have . fair chance to start
from the roots and all along the
plants inclined and woven in be-
tween the stakes. Your work,
when done, will present q complete
frame work sufficiently strong to
resist stock, and before the end of
summer it will be a complete
hedge fence. 1t should be kept
within bounds now by clipping,
and as soon as possible, it should
be dwarfed by cutting the roots
with a sharp cutter drawn as near
to it as possible by stout team,
and repeated occasionally. A
thick grass sod should be secured
along the hedge also.
Now, brother farmers, I respect.
fully ask your careful attention to
this method of tending hedges
for which claim no royalty, and
which I have adopted after some
fifteen years of experience in the
business, on my own farm. Some
OF the advantages OF this metho(
of treatm emit are as follows: 1
saves two annual clippings, /
igiyes you q fence that will turf
stock sooner, it gives you a larg'
amount Of hedge brush to tie a.
to your old dead wood fences t
protect them against breachy
stock; or to plash in betwee,
stakes driven into the ground t.
form new lines of fence and thu
enable you to set and protec
young hedges, which in their turf
will render service in the sam
way; and lastly, it will give you
fence within which your crops vii
be entirely safe, even if all tn
cattle in Texas should stamped
against 1t. j. n. MILLER.