The National tribune., 1882-04-08

HEDGES, AND How To GROW THEM
Hedges, or live fences, as they are sometimes
and very properly termed, have long been
held in estimation both on account of their
great utility as efficient protectors from
depredators and their beauty as ornamental
features of the landscape. For farm fences
hedges have never become popular to any
great extent, mainly on account of the labor
required to keep them in good condition
during summer, when other farming opera
tions considered of more importance demand
attention.
For defensive farm hedges there are only
two plants which have been considered
entirely satisfactory. These are the Usage
orange and the honey locust The Usage
orange tMdclura aurantidca) is preferred in
all localities where it viii stand the winter,
which 1t will do except in the extreme
Northern States. Its merits for this pur-
pose are that 1t is cheaply produced, of rapid
growth, thickens it's branches freely when
clipped, has formidable thorns, is not liable
to be injured by insects, is not eaten by
cattle, and viii grow in any kind of soil of
ordinary fertility. The honey locust (GIe-
ditSchid triaeanthos) is somewhat harder
than the Usage orange; 1t has formidable
thorns, and in every respect is equally well
adapted for growing into strong hedge as
the faSt-named plant.
Raising the Plants.-Seeds or young plants
of either Of the above are easily obtained.
1t is very difficult to form a good hedge by
sowing the seeds at once in the hedge row,
or on the position which the hedge is in
tended to occupy. The casualties of growth
will invariably produce many weak plants,
which interfere with the uniformity of
growth, which is absolutely essential in
starting an efficient hedge. 1t is therefore
the practice to SOW the seeds In rows in
properly prepared ground, and after the
plants have made one years growth they
are lifted and assorted as to size before final
setting in the hedge row, and an equality of
growth may thus at once be established.
Young plants can be supplied by most
nurserymen in large quantities and at such
low prices that it is more economical to Dur
chase plants than to grow them from seed
on small scale.
In preparing the ground for hedge row
breadth Of four feet will be amply suffi-
cient. This should be plowed as deeply as
practicable and then narrowed until the sur
face is smooth and level The line for set
ting the plants can be made by running out
a deep, perfectly straight furrow with
plow and set the plants against the land
side, which, if carefully and neatly done,
will make fairly accurate line, but the
preferable method is to set line where the
hedge is intended to be and make trench
with a spade. This trench may be one foot
in width and the same in depth, which will
afford proper facility for setting the plants
and covering the roots. The best distance
TO set the plants is from ten to fourteen
inches apart and in a single row. On poor
soils or for merely ornamental hedge the
closer distance may be adopted, and for a
strong fence or in rich soils the wider
distance will not be too great. The soil
should In all cases be firmly pressed around
the roots, and after the plants are set and
Strengthened the tops should be cut down
TO within a couple of inches of the ground. |
The perfection of hedge, even with the
best plants or IN the best soils, depends alto
gether upon the treatment il receives during |
the first years of its growth. Neglect in |
pruning during this period can seldom be
completely remedied by after treatment |
short of cutting the plants down and start
ing anew, and to early neglect when Young |
may be attributed most Of the failures in
forming good hedges.
ITO be continued