The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-01
The coming Hedge Plant.

:. &. Questionable whether there Will
- no a time, again when line fences
:. bo1ees will be considered desirable for
40 nractical purpose of enclosing culti-
tod fields. Since the development OF
u;ro fencing there is no need for looking
n,rber for cheap materials to make
,.n.as or barriers out of. Years ago when
rnrone and the northern part of this
.,,ntrv had SO exhausted their stock OF
sr,her as TO render it necessary, from an
..oror,eaI point Of view, to find other
rows Of making fences, experiments were
made with ali sorts of plants that were
tbought likely to possess the proper quail
mes for a permanent hedge. FROM time
mime a great many different plants were
srggested and tried until finally it was
paproUed down to the rose and the Usage
o-arge--not an orange at all, as its name
vould Indicate though it has fruit that
mile off may resemble that of the
arrange. At last the palm seems to rest
with the Usage, and there might have
hssn grand rush to 1t as the substitute
far boards About that time, however,
The genius of the age appeared equal to
he necessities of the case and gave to
Inc world wire fencing. 1t was soon dem
onstrated that the fence problem was
solved. A cheap, durable, practical sub
stiute for boards was found that rendered
it entirely unnecessary, to cumber the
ground with a great mass of vegetable
growth that took up even so much of
the soil for the purpose of enclosing fields
or dividing those fields. For enclosing
large tracts or for dividing land into sep
arate fields or pastures it is not likely
that there will be found anything to sup
plant wire. 1t solves the problem afford
ed by timber exhausted country.
Whatever need we have for hedges in
the future will be chiefly for ornamental
purposes, though a hedge that is capable
Of combining both the ornamental and
The practical may be used TO a considera-
bic extent for the latter purpose. There
are many persons of means in the world
who would crafty the eye for the beau
utul by using whenever practicable the
ornamental Tor prostate purposes.
The Citrus Trifoliata, or hardy or
angc, is to-day the most promising hedge
plant that we have. 1t is an IDEAL hedge
plant taking up very little soil compared
10 what the rose or the Usage orange re-
qures. AS hedge it makes thing Of
beauty, and in being so is also a most
perfect barrier and protection. IN
pruned it is not a rank grower, even on
rich soil, like the other plants commonly
used for hedges. The flowers are beau
tiful and pleasure-giving and the small
iruit oval in shape, while not edible in
a raw state, can be made into a very
palatable preserve or marmalade. Any
one who knows how to set out a plant
can make a hedge out of it.
Up 10 the present time very great OBJ
slaele to the more varied and extended
use of the Citrus Trifoliata as a hedge
plant for either ornamental or practical
purposes has been the great cost of the
plants, and even of the seeds, consider
ing the fact that very few of the latter
could ever be made to terminate. Seeds
mat were sent out from Japan-the ma
i've habitat of the Citrus Trifoliata--be-
came so dry few or none of them would
grow. u has been found that the seeds
do not retain their terminating power
out a little while after being taken from
their envelope. The seeds will not grow
a plant unless allowed to retain their nat
ural moisture as found in the unbroken
iruit up to the very moment of being
planted. After one has gotten start
win few trees it is easy enough to ex-
tend any hedge work by planting the
seeds that those trees produce.
heretofore the price of plants has been
from S25 o $40 per thousand, but Mr.. j.
j.. Normald of Louisiana, we are pleased
10 note, has so enlarged HE paintings
from seeds raised on the spot that he will
soon be able to supply plants as low as $40
per thousand, and fresh seeds that win
grow at % c ents per pound. This will en-
able any one that desires to use this
beautiful and useful plant to do so with
comparatively little cost. OF this we are
quite sure, for the future there will be no
other plant for hedging purposes that will
IN any way compete with the Citrus Tri-
lollata. This may be regarded as "eX-
cathedra"