Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-02-02

would be sufficient for q fence OF IN
kind, for the spreading tops OF inc
trees would keep the stock from jump
ing. / think the soft maple would be
a good tree for this purpose, as II
makes a very rapid growth aud has no
insect enemies that | know OF. Or, ii
one wishes TO use the Usage orange
for Il hedge I believe the best way Is
10 set the plants two feet apart, and as
soon as they are large enough staple a
wire to them. After thirty-tiye years
experience with Usage orange would
not plant or recommend At except III
locations where it can be allowed TO
grow without trimming, as ii is arapid
grower and requires too much valuable
time to keep it close trimmed. From
my experience with the scft maple
believe that in twenty years a row OF
trees planted two or three feet apart
would cut a cord of wood to the rod OF
trees in single row. In a small row
they will grow more rapidly than when
Il block of them are planted together.
Locust trees will grow into pests in
less than fifteen years. a row OF To-
Gusts planted nine years ago wilt now
cut good posts, with occasionally a
tree large enough to split and make
two posts. They are planted on a
ridge in the poorest part OF the
farm. have grown naples on my
best land which measured a foot in
diameter before they We're fifteen years
planted. In starting a row of trees for
fencing purposes | always plant them
at one year old from the seed, when
they are so small that 100 will only
make a bundle as large as "a sheaf OF
wheat. | do this because when trees
are taken up at one year old the roots
need not be broken at all, and the trees
being small they can be protected from
drying by old sacks and are hardly
checked in their growth by the re-
moval. The sooner it is to grow the
better it will flourish. 1t adjusts itself
to its surroundings much more readily
than if allowed to grow three or four
years on a different soil.
Then, too, the labor of traasplanttng
is very small with these young trees.
Enough to set a row a mile long can DO
carried on a spring wagon. No dig
ging Of holes is necessary, as a deep
furrow with a two-horse pillow will take
the roots, and with a boy to hold the
trees upright and two mel with light
shovels to put the soil to the roots a
half-mile row can be planted in a day.
The row Of trees ought to be as care
fully cultivated rs a row Of corn for
two years, as the growth will be
greatly retarded by weeds or grass at
first, but as soon as the roots have eX-
tended u few feet and the tops begin to
shade the ground no further Cultiya-
ton will be necessary, Perhaps some
one will urge the objection that a row
of trees through the farm will occupy
too much land. | would reply that it
has been proved over and oyer that
with a timber belt every fifty rods, oc-
cupying one-eighth of the land, the re-
mainder will grow more grain than the
whole would without this protection.
! have seen, in years when the wheat
crop was an entire failure ON wind
swept fields, a good crop when pro-
tected by timber. In other cases corn
was Frustrated by wind and badly
damaged in exposed places, but stood
up straight where the fields were pro-
tected. Another objection urged is
the time one must wait, but a row OF
trees will grow large enough to sup
port wires in less time than a hedge
will grow large enough to turn stock.
BY setting a post once in 100 feet, and
a llght stake every rod, the row Of
trees can be utilized at two or three
years from planting; for two wires
stretched close up to the trees will
turn cattle better than three without
the trees. am sure that if farmers
would try this plan they would be
pleased with it and it would be largely
adopted. There is a great difference
between making a fence at a cost OF
twenty-five cents a rod and in fifteen
years having it worth s. or more, and
building n costing Sl.50 per rod and
then being obliged to renew il in that
time. There is not a possibility of
timber-growing being overdone in this
country and the farmer who is wise
enough to get a few thousand trees
started and utilize them for fences
while growing will find that he has
made a profitable Observation-Disclosures
I. Brown, in Philadelphia Press.