Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-04-19
WILLOW HEDGES.

WILLOW HEDGES.
Hon. Joseph Dysart in Western Stock Journal.
Somebody truthfully. declared that
history is philosophy teaching by exam
pie. A mans experience, expressed in
his own language, in like manner in
structs others when they undertake to
do what he has practiced for years. FIRE.
quently much he writes may indeed be
stale to many that read it, yet this fact
should not deter him from making
known what he has done, how and with
what success; for he should ever recol-
lect that, to the young, all knowledge is
new. and must be learned from others
or by hard experience.
1t is now generally admitted that no
other kind of hedges can be so cheaply
reared in central Iowa, nor can be so
certainly trusted to stand the rigors Of
our climate, as those of the gray or
white willow. The writer of what fol-
lows has planted over three miles in
length of it; and it is his purpose here
to give his opinion how a perfect fence
for kline and horses may be grown in
five years.
As a rule, it is best to prepare the
cuttings before the leaves come, never
theless they will grow, if the season is
favorable, even if taken from the tree
as late as the first of June. The size is
10 very important, provided the cut
tings are carefully assorted, those of
equal thickness set together, to the
depth OF ten inches in well pulverized
soil, thoroughly cultivated and kept
clean. If those Of a half inch in diam
eter are set among others double it, the
larger ones throw out quickly strong
shoots, which soon Overshadow their
more slender neighbors, monopolizing
the light, heat and moisture, and, in con-
sequence. the latter are dwarfed or die
out and leave vacancies in the line. At
the end Of three years, if all Of like di-
mansions are set beside others, with
equally good culture, the difference in
the height and vigor will hardly be per-
ceptible.
But should there be found openings
in the hedge, they can be readily closed,
1t may be done thus: Take up at the
south or west end of the line enough to
fill them, planting the lifted trees about
ten inches apart, the distance the cut
tings should be stuck. TO avoid the in
furious effects OF shade, and to allow
the transplanted trees an even chance
to draw support from the atmosphere,
the hedge should be cut down at least
two feet for a yard or more on either
side of them. After two seasons have
passed. no one can point to the spot
where the vacancies were noticed. 1t
is possible to replace the part of the
hedge used for shutting gaps, close up
to the undisturbed portion, and thus
complete it, if the replants arc taken
from the extremity named before; but
not, for the reasons already assigned, if
they are obtained from the north or
east. Repeated experiments have PROV
en- to me the truth of this statement.
That all the trees may grow Of like
size, a hedge should be plowed deeply,
eight feet wide on both sides till it is
five years old. Then the stems are suf-
ficiently strong. to resist the pressure
OF stock, and the hedge may be convert
cd to use.
In the latter part of winter, or early
in spring, as circumstances admit, OBJ
~servation and trial have convinced me,
is the best time to cut the hedge back.
The proper mode is by saving off the
trees uniformly two feet above the
ground, putting about every third sew
cred top butt down among the stumps
as filling. The side limbs should also
be cut off seven or eight inches from
the trunks left standing, in order that
all the ascending rays may go to the
forming Of a top of diverging parts. Ev-
cry five or six feet along the line, a tree
should be sawed off all but the bark,
and laid back as a kind Of a rider on the
hedge. This will serve to keep out or
IN cattle, till the young shoots come up
among the filling and render the hedge,
during the first season, an apparently
impervious barrier to stock. This fill
ing will last three years. BY the end
of that time the branches, which start
ed off all around the top Of the stumps,
will so close up the space between them
as to render it wholly impossible for a
COW or horse to pass.
Last year, about the 4th OF July, an
old friend from Pennsylvania, who is
quite a traveller, called to see me. There
they make worm fences so high and
substantial as fully to come up to the
conception Of the witness in the Arkan-
sas court, who said a "jam-up, tip-top
fence" was one horse high, bull strong
and hog tight" [ showed him 100 rods
| laid down last April. After examin-
ING it the entire length. said he: "2Hat
is the best fence | ever saw in any
country.
Now an obiector and says:
We'll, grant that the willow does make
a good fence, yet it costs more than it
is worth, because it shades and impov-
erishes the land for two rods wide on
each side: and the use Of so much
ground will more than keep up a barbed
wire fence equally effective for the pur-
pose wished" On highways there is no
force in that argument at all, because
the hedge draws half its nutriment from
the road. Once every five years ten
cords or more of good frewOOd can be
taken from a half mile of willow hedge,
which surely will compensate the most
niggardly and short-sighted OF farmers
for the bad effects on crops. grown con,
tiguous, especially when it is considered
that his fence costs him annually no
money out of pocket. The fact is, all
such cavilers lack the resolution to
plant and cultivate rightly a live fence;
and are perpetually parading such friv-
olous excuses for their Incidence. Will
low hedges answer for timber belts to
prairie farms, most universally acknowl-
edged by intelligent agriculturists to be
needed to modify our climate.
A Woman Farmer i'm Minnesota.
ST. Paul Pionecr-Press.
In lnnEInr over VOur Valuable nannr