The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-10-09
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
HOW TO SECURE PERFECT Sue
CESS WITH HEDGES.
Right and Wrong Management OF Hedges
The Best Hog Ration-Fruit Ir-
rigatiOn-Farm Notes and
Domestic Dots.

Success With Hedges.
Noticing a discussion in your paper
as to Usage orange hedges between
Messrs. Brown and Chamberlain,
writes correspondent of the Country
Gentleman, allow me to suggest-n
because have any positive knowledge
OF the Usage orange, but having had
an extensive experience with ever
green's, particularly the Norway
spruce I can but think the treatment
has close points Of resemblance.
Most Usage orange hedge-growers.
as noticed in their writings, lay stress
on the necessity for 'splashing''- that
is, of cutting the plants about half off
when they reach a height of seven feet
or more, bending them over until
nearly horizontal, and leaving them in
that mangled condition to grow and
make the hedge impervious to live
stock. They seem to think there is
no other effective way; and perhaps
there isn't if one neglects the hedge
until it attains the height mentioned.
But, unless the Usage plant differs
radically from other trees, if it should
be cut low when planted, and then
cut back severely each fall or winter,
leaving only few inches of the last
seasons growth, it will become so
stocky and branched that no FLASHING
will be needed-at least / shall think
so until some reliable man who has
fairly tried it states to the contrary.
Apples, pears and thorns generally be-
come very stiff and stocky under this
treatment sending out branches in all
directions, and l can imagine no rea-
son why the Usage orange, when
planted only few inches apart, should
not aided by its fearful thorns, be-
come absolutely impervious to the pas
sage of men or animals.
The cutting back when young is
necessity in the care of evergreens for
hedges, and under that treatment from
the first they become solid masses of
green. and so closely interviewer that
neither animals, fowls nor birds can
pass unless they force their way. In
general this is not true of evergreen
hedges as one sees them. but the fault
is due entirely to neglect or to the use
of poor plants. At two feet apart in
the hedge row, there. is no trouble
whatever-not the least-except the
trouble of attending to it when planted,
and annually thereafter for five or six
years. or until the hedge has the de-
sired height usually four feet But
if the grower neglects it on the plea of
mo time, or 'too much else to do"
he will have scarecrow of a hedge,
resembling most of the Usage orange
hedges l have seen-scraggy, full of .
gaps, irregular in height and good
for nothing but to illustrate the grow
ers ineficiency in hedge management.
The Best Hog Ration.
The cheapest hog food we can pro-
duce is clover, but tho best single food
is corn. In the combination of these
two foods lie the best results. Some
may say this necessitates exclusive
summer feeding. Not necessarily;
clover hay and clover ensilage form
part of a ration for hogs in many
portions of the state in winter, and
give the best of satisfaction, especially
where fed to mature stock kept for
breeding purposes. Some parties re-
port that they have kept brood sows
on good clover hay, with two pounds
of corn meal per day in addition the
latter fed without preparation of any
kind. While this style of feeding is
practiced quite extensively in the east
ern part of the state and by the best
farmers, l cannot speak of it from ex-
perience, but consider it worthy of
trial.
But can speak from experience in
feeding grain on clover pasture, and l
prefer corn and can honestly say it is
one of the best if not the very best
way to produce pork at a low cost
and it is somewhat strange so few
farmers avail themselves of its advan-
tages. At present prices pork cannot
be profitably produced on an all-grain
ration, and yet it is equally true it
cannot be produced on all grass ration.
But the person who has never tried
feeding limited amount of grain to
thrifty hogs on good clover pasture
"OuAA OO ouA PIAoCO dU U10 IcSu1tS. LILO
practice of many feeders of feeding
milk to hogs on grass in the absence
of a grain ration is not to be recon-
mended. While young pigs do not
derive much benefit from pasture ex-
cept through the exercise and contact
with the soil, when the weather is
suitable it is the safest place to keep
them. as old pens with their unhealthy
surroundings and bad atmosphere are
particularly injurious. Winter feed
ing should be avoided as mucn as pos
sible, especially the practice of keep
ing what are termed store hogs, when
not kept for breeding purposes. Wis
consin Cor. Farm and Home.
Raising Colts.
When raise spring colt, after it
is two or three days old, and begin to
work the mare leave the colt in
dark, cool stable well bedded with
clean straw. Then for the first week
take the mare to the stable and let the
colt suck twice in the forenoon, the
sqma II, Tho of+orpnoy,. tho cooorl on1