The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-15
Hedges Becoming Unpopular.

has been for centuries 8 high recon-
mendation for the English gardener.
Great Britain is really the home of
hedges, and in no other country has
hedging as an art been carried to greater
IN Its favor, but the scarcity of timber
for fencing. from a very early period in
the history of the country, made the live
fence or hedge a necessity. Then the
beautiful hawthorn became popular;
poets sang its praise, and the whole ma
ton joined in the chorus; and, as re-
suit. thousands of miles of hedges were
planted where not only they were not
needed, but in a majarity of instances
were apositive nuisance. occupying val
liable land and requiring vast amount
of labor to keep them in order.
Of late years, however, the farmers
of Great Britain have taken a more
practical view of this question. They
begin to see that the raising of hedges
has been carried to excess, and that by
dividing up farms with such fences they
have lessened very considerably the area
of land available for crops. One writer
recently asserted that if the hedges of
England were merely reduced in width
by close pruning it would add to the ex-
tent of land available for crops as much
as 'middling sized county" Such
statements and the discussion of the
hedge question in the agricultural press
of Great Britain have produced good
results, and many useless and unne ces-
sary hedges have within the past few
years been grubbed up and the land put
to better use.
The abundance of timber for making
fences in our Eastern States has, no
doubt, prevented the planting of any
considerable number of hedges as farm
fences; but in the Western States, espe-
cially in the prairie regions, hedge plants
have been in great demand for many
years, and tens of thousands of miles of
hedges planted. But this kind of fence
has not, upon the whole, proved salts
factory. In the first place it requires
from four to eight years to raise a hedge
to size sufficient to turn stock, and
during this time cultivation of the plants
and annual prunings are necessary. and
if breaks in the hedge occur, they are
not readily filled, except when only a
few feet in extent; in such cases what is
called FLASHING may be employed to ELL
up the gap.
Such trees as the Usage orange and
honey locust are probably among the
best of our native hedge plants, but
they grow so large and strong that
considerable pruning is necessary to
keep them within moderate limits; but
while the branches and main stems
can be cut in as required, the roots will
spread to great distance on each side
of the hedge, unless they are also
pruned by digging deep trenches few
feet distant from the hedge-an ex-
pensive operation, and one that few
persons can afford. Ii the roots are
not shortened they will cause a great
waste of land, drawing nutriment
therefrom to whatever distance they
NAV 90 on each side of the hedge.
Many of our Western farmers who
were few years since highly pleased
with the appearance of their hedges are
now complaining, not only of the labor
required to keep them in order, but OF
the improvishment of the land near
them. If hedge occupies with roots
and branches only the width of rod
through farm. it makes an acre for
every one hundred and sixty rods, and !
some very large old hedges impoveriSh |
the soil for twice this width.
Hedges certainly are some protection
against winds and drifting SHOWS, and, |
while they afford shelter for birds, they |
also afford it for noxious insects and |
various kinds of vermin, especially |
field mice and other small animals. |
Taking hedges as awhOle they are not
satisfactory as fences, and our farmers
need something cheaper-a structure
that can be reared in far less time than
it takes to raise hedge, and one that
will not cost so much to keep in repair.
The barbed wire fence is certainly
step in the right direction, but timber
is required for posts, and furthermore
there ought to be a strip of board or
rail at the top in order that animals can
see the fence even in the night, and
thereby be warned of their danger.
Some have proposed to plant trees
along the line of the fence at the same
distance apart as is required for posts,
and as soon as the trees are large
enough to sustain the strain put on
the wires. This will certainly
answer very well, but the trees
planted every thirty or forty feet will
soon fill the surrounding soil with their
roots and draw upon its fertility almost
if not quite as much as a hedge. In
low grounds, or where the land is not
likely to be of any value except for
pasture, we are inclined to think that
trees for permanent posts IS
20 be recommended; while in other po-
,itions, and where the land is to be cul-
.ivated, ordinary fence posts are prefer
able. If the farmer cannot be GER
tain of obtaining these cheaply when
ever wanted, he can raise them, pro-
7ided he resides in 4 country where
.rees will grow. 1t does not take many
years to raise trees large enough to
make fence posts. and no farmer can
afford to haul timber any considerable
distance, or even pay the freight
charges of railroads, as long as he can
-a;se it at home and on his own land.
At the commencement of his opera
ions on prairie farm he may be
obliged to purchase whatever timber he
needs, and he may always have to pro-
cure certain kinds from distance; but
such as is needed for fuel, stakes,
posts, homemade implements OF
rariOus kinds, as well as trees for shade
md shelter. should be raised by himself
md at home. Il
There is certainly no good reason
Why farmer should not raise timber
rees, as we'll as corn and potatoes, and
he does not know just how to COM
nence. it will not be at all difficult for
lin to obtain the requisite information,
or there are plenty of books to be had