SOLON ROBINSON, 1846 15 



the Cherokee Rose. It ivill make a fence if managed right. 

 [See directions.] And what a romantic appearance our 

 wide prairies will present while under this system of 

 management. But now to the 



Directions for groiving a Cherokee Rose Hedge upon 

 the northern prairies of Illinois, &c. As the cuttings of 

 the rose can be obtained in any quantity from Natchez, I 

 shall not give any directions for growing the plants from 

 the seed ; the editors of the Prairie Farmer will try that 

 experiment and 'report progress,' and have leave to try 

 again. I will suppose you have the requisite quantity of 

 cuttings on hand to set one mile of fence to begin 2vith. 

 The ground being in good tilth, make a mellow bed about 

 two feet wide and open a furrow in the centre six inches 

 deep. Then take the cuttings — and mind you work with 

 leather mittens on — and set them up in the furrow about 

 a foot apart ; haul in with hand or hoe the loose earth and 

 squeeze it tight around the sets. They are now ready to 

 grow. The next step necessary will be to set posts upon 

 each side of the hedge row about four feet from the row 

 and eight feet apart the other way. Now get 16-feet 

 boards and board up the posts two feet high, and saw the 

 posts off by a line level, and nail a board one inch and 

 a quarter thick and six inches wide, on the top of the 

 posts for plates ; then put on rafters, and cover the whole 

 with glass frames in sliding grooves. In summer time 

 keep the frames open in pleasant weather, and closed in 

 winter; and also bank up the earth against the boards, 

 and keep the whole warm by hot water, stove pipes, or 

 steam — and in four or five years you will have a most 

 beautiful Cherokee Rose hedge in Illinois. It will add to 

 the picturesque eifect to diversify it with a few orange 

 trees, magnolias, and an occasional patch of sugar cane. 

 As the glass fabric will need some further protection, 

 it can be obtained by extending "the area of liberty" so 

 as to bring up from the South a few slaves for that pur- 

 pose. Otherwise to guard against accidents, it would be 

 necessary to build a good substantial fence on each side. 



