A FARM HEDGE FENCE IN MINNESOTA. 341 
IS A FARM HEDGE FENCE PRACTICAL OR DESIRABLE 
IN MINNESOTA? 
J. P. ANDREWS, FARIBAULT. 
It would be presumptuous on my part to attempt to give a defi- 
nite answer to this question, circumstances are so variable. What 
may be advisable for one person in a certain location may not be so 
for another differently situated. The farmer of moderate means, 
especially if he has had considerable experience in Minnesota, 
would, if he takes hold of it at all, be likely to plant only a few rods 
at first to test it, which course would be quite practical for him; 
while, on the other hand, the farmer with plenty of cash and little 
experience may think it advisable for him to enclose his whole farm 
with a hedge, and should he choose osage orange or honey locust, 
the most practical part of this transaction would be getting his 
money into circulation and increasing his stock of experience. 
Therefore, we will only call attention to a few points that should be 
considered before a person decides to fence his farm with a hedge. 
First, as to the durability and hardiness: It must be perfectly 
hardy, or it will, of course, be worthless. It will not be likely to 
have much cultivation after the first two or three years, consequent- 
ly drouth will be as much or more severe on it than will be our 
hard winters. We think there has been no hedge plant sufficiently 
well tested in different situations in this state, to be worthy of 
planting more extensively than a few rods for trial. The fact that 
a few stray plants may have survived for a few years proves 
nothing. Peach trees will do that, they may have been sheltered 
by other trees or otherwise favorably situated. We should 
have these plants on trial, in trying locations, for when we build 
a. fence it is liable to run over very unfavorable spots, and if on 
these severe spots the plants kill the hedge is surely a failure. 
The buckthorn is probably the most promising hedge plant we 
have, and we believe the wild thorn-apple to be worthy of trial. 
The osage orange was planted two or three years ago quite 
extensively within thirty or forty miles of Minneapolis. The agent 
who sold it pronounced it a great success—to get the farmers cash. 
Probably his customers are now ready to replace with something 
else. 
We would not be understood to discourage the planting of a 
hedge if hardy plants can be obtained—wherever we would like to 
combine the ornamental with the useful and are willing to go to 
the extra expense and care to make ita success. We should remem- 
ber, however, that a hedge will harbor weeds to some extent, will 
cause snowdrifts, that in some places are objectionable, and will 
need trimming annually or if neglected will show the neglect quite 
as soon as our old slack wire fences; but if kept trimmed and well 
cared for they are certainly much more ornamental than are the 
wire fences in their best condition. 
The best way to obtaina hedge is to get the seed from a seedstore, 
and grow them one two years in a garden before planting into the 
hedge. In this way the cost of the plants will scarcely be noticed. 
