No. 3. 



Virginia Thorn Hedge. 



99 



teenth part of an acre of land could grow his 

 own sugar and kill his own mutton," has 

 brought the subject into utter contempt ; and 

 it will not be able to rise to the consideration 

 which it merits, until it is taken up in the 

 way here recommended. What man has 

 done, man may do — and it will not be readily 

 believed that what is done in France, not on- 

 ly without difficulty but with the greatest fa- 

 cility, cannot be done in this country, where 

 nature and the arts have done so much to dis- 

 tinguish it above all others. 



James Pedder. 



Philadelpliia, Sept. 20, 1830. 



The above, in manui=cript, was submitted 

 to Joseph S. Lovering, Esq., for his ap- 

 proval. It was returned with the following 

 testimonial, which, from such a source, 

 speaks volumes in favor of the enterprize. 

 Philadelphia, Sept. 21, 1839. 

 Mr. James Pedder: 



Dear Sir, — I have read your paper on the 

 subject of bset sugar with pleasure, and agree 

 with you in opinion, that an establishment, 

 such as you contemplate, properly conducted, 

 would not only prove a highly interesting one 

 to all connected with it, but would also yield 

 an abundant return to the capitalist ; and had 

 I not already enough for one man to attend 

 to, I should rejoice to be among the first to 

 enter the field. 



As regards the mention of my name in your 

 papar, the flattering terms in which you have 

 placed it t!iere, forbid me to object ; although, 

 as a general rule, I am averse to having my 

 name in public print in any shape. 

 I am, dear sir, your's truly, 



Joseph S. Lovering. 



Virginia Thorn Hedge> 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The enclosed communication from D. P. 

 ScHNELLER, of Bethlehem, on a subject of 

 Tiuch importance to the farming interest, may 

 >e considered sufficiently interesting for gen- 

 ::ral perusal. The hedge referred to, is so far 

 superior to the ordinary attempts at live-fenc- 

 ng, that the intelligent cultivator, at my re- 

 quest, drew up a particular description of his 

 nethod of cultivation. 



It is now, after having been planted about 

 ;even years, of an average and nearly uniform 

 leight of six feet, and is an effectual protec- 

 ion to a flourishing vineyard, of which there 

 re several in the vicinity of Bethlehem. 



It is mentioned in remark No. 4, by D. P 

 ScHNELLER, that he filled a small trench with 

 lime on each side of the hedge, to protect it 

 from the mice. It may be considered certain, 

 that this lime has operated an important effect 

 not only in protecting the hedge fi"om various 

 descriptions of depredators — but, being taken 

 up into the circulation, has added materially 

 to the health and vigor of the plants. 



With great regard, I remain, 

 Your friend, 



Morris LoNGSTRExn. 



(Valley Green,) Montgomery co., Pa. 



Bethlehem, Aug. 6, 1839. 



Morris Longstreth, Esq. 



Sir, — In answer to your request for infor- 

 mation as to the method of planting and 

 training my live hedge, I have to state, that 

 the first preparation was a trench made in 

 the fall of 1831 — one foot deep, and one foot 

 wide, as far as it was intended to plant the 

 hedge ; the upper and lower earth was thrown 

 together on one side. Afl;er the trench was 

 finished, the earth was thrown inaijain, mix- 

 ing it as well as possible, and adding some 

 well rotted manure ; thus it remained till 

 March, 1832. In December, 1831, fifteen 

 hundred quicks, or plants, of the " Crascegus 

 populifolia, maple leaved Washington or 

 Virginia thorn," were procured fiom the 

 Messrs. Landrbth, of Philadelphia, for which 

 they charged us six dollars and twenty-five 

 cents, though they now advertise them at 

 five dollars per thousand in their catalogue or 

 plants. These were kept in a cellar till 

 March, 1832, when they were planted. Be- 

 fore planting they were prepared as follows: 

 Every plant was trimmed of every side root, 

 and the main roots were cut off in th* length 

 of six inches, and the top of two inche.s. — 

 They were then planted at the distance of 

 eight inches one from the other in the rows 

 with a dibble, that is, with a piece of pointed 

 wood, as cabbage plants are usually planted. 

 They were plaited the first time in the spring 

 of 1834, which might have been done a year 

 sooner, if the field mice had not done so much 

 damage by gnawing them off in the ground, 

 making gaps and forcing me to plant young 

 plants for two successive years, before I Tas 

 able to plait them the first time. The first 

 plaiting is to be done as close to the ground 

 as possible, ''^hey will throw out a number 

 of shoots close together along the whole line ; 

 these are to be headed down the next spring 

 in the following manner; the strongest shoots 

 are to be left about fiftoen inches long; 

 the next about one-third shorter, and the 

 weakest the shortest ; the reason of heading' 



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