DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



445 



that IS nutritious to a fruit tree; but it acts indi- 

 rectly upon tlie phosphates. In no other sense is it 

 cither a stimulant or nutrient to vegetation. 



The more abundantly a tree is I'urnished with 

 enriching compounds, containino- phosphate of 

 lime, the greater the quantity oi' salt tiiat may be 

 safely applied as a dressuig. /. P. Kirttand. 

 Cleveland, Sept. 20, 1848— Ohio Fruit-Grower's 

 Report. 



OSAGK OrANGe]HeDGES SoWING THE SeED. 



Dear Sir : — I believe you are conferring a real fa- 

 vor on many readers of your Journal by commend- 

 ing to their favorable attention the Osage Orange 

 as a hedge plant. I have given much attention 

 to this subject during the last three or four years, 

 and have repeatedly examined the oldest hedges 

 of it in the country (at Mt. Airy, near Philadel- 

 phia, and in the vicinity of Cincinnati ;) I am al- 

 so personally familiar with the hedge plants of 

 Europe; and I do not hesitate to say, that as far 

 as present experience indicates, the Osage Orange 

 is the most beautiful and perfect hedge plant as 

 yet known, for all countries where the winters are 

 not too severe. 



In regard to this question of climate, I am firmly 

 of the opinion that it will be found to succeed, as a 

 hedge plant, on soils not too wet, as far north as the 

 New England states. The j^oung plants will need 

 earthing up, or other slight protection the 1st &. 2d 

 winters, and the tops will doubtless be killed to a 

 considerable extent for 2 or 3 years ; but not so as 

 to injure the hedge, inasmuch as close pruning is 

 indispensably necessary each spring, to thicken 

 the hedge. In this vicinity, (Columbus, 0.) our 

 winters are quite variable, and severe at times — 

 the thermometer not unfrcquently as low as 10 to 

 12 deg. below zero; and wc have trees of the 

 Osage Orange 10 to 12 years old, growing thrift- 

 ty, and not tiie smallest twig injured by the win- 

 ters — although when young, the plants were eve- 

 ry year more or less injured. I have known the 

 plants to stand the winter in western New- York, 

 with as little injury as here. 



Sowing the Seed. — It is on this point that I 

 desire particularly to remark. In the February 

 No. of the Horticulturist, p. 390, speaking of the 

 osage orange, it is stated that " good seeds are 

 almost as easily raised as peas." This is true 

 of the seeds when taken from the ripe fruit in au- 

 tumn, and put immediately into the ground, or in 

 a box of earth or sand, so as not to allow tliem to 

 become thoroughly dry. But the seed as brought 

 into this country from Texas and Arkansas, al- 

 though perfectly good, is almost sure to fail unless 

 prepared by long soaking, or freezing in moist 

 earth before sowing; (or sown in the fall.) Hav- 

 ing sowed the seed each spring for three years 

 past, and sold large quantities to others, I have 

 taken much pains to learn the best methods of ma- 

 naging the seed to ensure its vegetation, and now 

 find but little difficulty if the seed is plump, has 

 not been heated, and is not more than 2 or 3 years 

 ijld. 



My plan is, to mix the seed with sandy earth in 

 a box, (not water tight,) as soon as obtained, in 

 fall or winter; wet it thoroughly, and place it 

 where it wjU be exposed to freezing and thawing, 

 without becoming drj^, din-ing winter; then sow in 

 good ground (like peas,) in spring, when vegeta- 

 tion has become brisk. If the seed is not obtain- 

 ed in time for freezing, soak it in water in a warm 

 room, (or stand in a hot bed,) for 5 or 6 days; 

 then turn off the water, and mix the seed with 

 2 or 3 times its bulk of tine earth, and let it stand 

 m a warm place, keeping it moist and stirring oc- 

 casionallj', from three to six days longer — or till 

 the seeds begin to show signs of sprouting ; then 

 sow, and if the weather is warm, as it should be, 

 the seeds will come up as certainly and quickly as 

 peas. 



Planting the Hedge. — This should be done 

 when the plants are one year old — (they will then 

 be from 1 to 2 feet in height according to the soil, 

 climate and culture.) If allowed to stand two 

 years before transplanting in this climate at least, 

 [and when the soil is rich] the plants become too 

 large, and the roots are unavoidably much mutila- 

 ted in digging, owing to their great length, and 

 downward tendency. In taking up some plants 

 the past fall of only one summer's growth, and the 

 tops not over IS inches high, I found perpendicu- 

 lar roots three feet in length. In planting, the 

 roots are shortened 10 to 12 inciics, and the tops 

 cut off nearly even with the ground. Respectful- 

 ly, &c., M. 5. Bateham. Columbus, 0., Feb. 



Fruits and Fruit Trees. — I have been a con- 

 stant reader of the Horticulturist from its begin- 

 ning, and have been much gratified and instructed 

 by its perusal, especiallv of those parts of it 

 which have treated of the culture of fruit and 

 fruit trees. 



For some ten years past, I have expended more 

 or less each year in attempts to cultivate straw- 

 berries, but as yet to no profit, having been bless- 

 ed in all my selections with an abundance of sta- 

 muiate or barren plants. However, M"ith my dear- 

 bought experience, and information gained from 

 reading most of the artic^ps published on the sub- 

 ject, I trust I may yet meet with, at least, a limi- 

 ted degree of success. My experience fully coin- 

 cides with the views of Mr. Longworth, on the 

 vexed question of strawberry culture. 



The suggestions and instructions of yourself 

 and others, on the subject of special manures for 

 fruit trees, have induced me to li7ne and ash my 

 Pear and Apple trees, and ash my Cherry trees, 

 of which latter I haA^e about 160, most of them 

 just beginning to fruit. The fact that analysis 

 shows the bark and wood of the pear and apple 

 to be composed mostly of potash and lime, would 

 of course seem to indicate that the use of these 

 " special manures " would be beneficial, and in 

 fact, absolutely necessary — but when I read as for 

 instance, in the last August No. of Hovey's Ma- 

 gazine, (page 382,) " that the subject of special 



