348 Cincinnati Horticultural Society, — Hedges. [July, 



Cimmnati lartlcultural ^0tktg.— Report on fjcbgts. 



The following report of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society's commit- 

 tee on the Osage Orange as a hedge plant was submitted, at the session 

 of June 14th, together with the interesting letter of Mr. Neff accompa- 

 nying. And as this plant has suffered much from the severity of the 

 past winter, the whole subject becomes very important and interesting. 



'' The undersigned committee, appointed by the Cincinnati Horticul- 

 tural Society to make examination and inquiry into the extent of dam- 

 age done to the Osage Orange Hedge from the intense cold of last winter, 

 and also to make expression as to the merits of said plant, beg leave to 

 report, that they have visited several hedges in the viciniry of Cincin- 

 nati; and, upon examination, find some of them cut down considerably 

 by the frost. This was most espcL-iully the case where the hedge had 

 been pruned late in the season, and the young shoots had lacked time to 

 mature and harden before the frost had cut short their growth. The 

 most severely cut of any other was the hedge around Spring Grove ; and 

 upon consultation with some, it was thought that this hedge would be 

 benefited thereby, as it would enable those who have the same in charge 

 to cut down to or below the surf ce of the ground, and thus encourage 

 a strong and vigorous branching growth from the base, which was consi- 

 dered superior to the plashing process heretofore pursued. 



In some situations the committee noticed the hedge entirely uninjured 

 by the frost; and^when it is remembered that last winter was perhaps 

 one in fifty years, it is surprising that so little damage has been done to 

 the Osage Orange Hedge. 



The committee have also corresponded with several gentlemen distin- 

 guished for their practical intelligence upon the subject under conside- 

 ration, but from only one of these has any response yet come to hand. 



Accompanying this report is a letter from William Neff, Esq., which 

 the committee hereby present without garble or mutilation to the soci- 

 ety, as part and parcel of their own views. 



As the subject of pruning and training the hedge at Spring Grove is 

 a debatable one among hedge-growers, the committee have concluded to 

 refrain from any expression of opinion on that subject. 



The conclusion of the committee as to the merits of the Osage Orange 

 for a hedcre is, that it has no rival in this country, and that they have 



# 



