310 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



APRIL, O, 1S34. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



ROSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 9, 



::.!! 



For the Nt i> -I'.u-l aid Farmer. 

 THORN HEDGES. 



Bangor, March 29, 1834. 



Will yon please to inform me by an early op- 

 portunity, as to the mode of culture in relation to 

 the Hawthorn — particularly the length of time the 

 plants should remain in the Beed-beds, before 

 planting into the nursery ? I cannot find, either 

 in the Fanner or American Gardener, or any where 

 else, the time required, or the space between each 

 plant in the seed bed. 



I obtained about ninety thousand seeds of two 

 kinds of thorn, which grow here spontaneously. 

 As I am unacquainted with Botany, I cannot tell 

 the species, and can only describe them as follows: 

 The first bear berries in clusters, of from twenty 

 to fifty, anil the second one single. Thorns of the 

 one, (the first) are long and slender, the latter are 

 short and rather thicker. 



An early answer, by mail if convenient, to my 

 address, will confer a favor on a pioneer in Live 

 Fences, down East. 



I remain, with great respect and esteem, 

 Yours respectfully, Win. Coomly. 



By the Editor. Although our correspondent 

 requests a private answer, perhaps it may lie as 

 well to publish what information we can give on 

 the subject of his letter, as we may perhaps, there- 

 by, communicate information of which others 

 among our readers may avail themselves. 



We are not sufficiently acquainted with the dif- 

 ferent kinds of thorns, to be able to say which of 

 the above-mentioned varieties, is to be preferred. 

 Probably either will answer. The Hon. J. Quincy, 

 formerly eminent as a practical, as well as a sci- 

 entific agriculturist, now President of Harvard Uni- 

 versity, has given a statement of his manner oi 

 making hedges of the American hawthorn, (Cra- 

 tcetjus cordata,) which was published in the third 

 vol. of the Mass. Agr. Repos. p. 27. The seedling 

 thorns (ten thousand) were obtained from the nur- 

 sery of Thomas Main, near Georgetown, D. C. and 

 planted in a hedge course of two luudriil and fif- 

 ty-five rods, so far as was necessary to fill that ex- 

 tent in one line, each plant being two inches apart. 

 The residue were planted in a nursery, for the 

 purpose of filling vacancies. 



The hedge course was made in sandy land, 

 ploughed of the width of four feet, and manured, 

 and prepared precisely as for Indian corn ; except 

 only, that after ploughing, the centre for two feel 

 wide, was turned over with the spade, and the 

 hedge planted without further preparation. Mr. 

 Quincy advises to the following course : "Plough 

 the hedge course six feet wide. Plant the wholi- 

 course one year to potatoes. This pays for the 

 labor, as much as any other laud thus planted. 

 Set the thorns eight inches apart. This is near 

 enough in a country like this, where hogs are not 

 permitted to run tit large, and makes a considerable 

 saving in labor, as well as the cost of the plants. 

 Keep both sides of the hedge planted with pota- 

 toes, during the whole six years that the hedge in- 

 coming to perfection. The potatoes will nearly 

 pay the cost of the labor. The manure for tin 

 potatoes benefits the hedge, and while hoeing the 

 potatoes, keeping the hedge clear of weeds is easy. 



"To keep the hedge clear of weeds, and to fill 

 up the vacancies regularly in the spring of every 

 year, with plants of the same age with those of the 



original hedge are the two essential objects of at- 

 tention, after the hedge course is prepared, and 

 the plants are set. Younger plants may answer, 

 hut whoever would make a hedge in the innsl 

 speedy and perfect manner ought to procure at 

 the time of obtaining the plants fur the original 



hedge, a sufficient extra number to supply all de- 

 ficiencies likely to occur dining the whole time the 

 hedge is forming; to be kept in a nursery, thriving 

 if possible a little better than those in the hedge 

 course." 



With respect to the age tit which plants for 

 hedges ought to be t\^rt\, Loudon says " three 

 years old tire certainly the youngest that should 

 be transplanted, and if they arc six or seven years 

 old, so much the better; the prevailing idea that 

 plants of that age will not thrive if transplanted, is 

 totally unfounded." He likewise recommends as- 

 sorting the plants, and setting those together which 

 are nearly of a size : because, " when no pains 

 have been taken in assorting the plants, and they 

 are planted promiscuously, great and small, strong 

 and weak, the consequence is, that the strongest 

 plants, very soon outgrow such as are weaker, and 

 not only overtop them, but also deprive them of 

 that nourishment, winch they so much require. 

 As the hedge advances in age 1 , the evil becomes 

 greater; small stunted plants, and innumerable 

 gaps appearing throughout the w hole line of the 

 fence, interspersed with others remarkable fur their 

 strength and luxuriance. 



" This assorting of hedge-plants has another 

 advantage; namely, that of putting it in the pow- 

 er of the person who plants the hedge, to put down 

 the large, strong, healthy plants upon the poorest 

 parts of the line of fence, and lo set such as are 

 smaller and weaker, upon the richer and mure fer- 

 tile parts. He has it also in his power, by a more 

 careful preparation of the soil, and bestowing a 

 a greater proportion of manure on the place's where 

 the plants are set, to give them that nourishment 

 and assistance which they require, and which 

 would soon enable them to form a fence equal to 

 that part occupied by the strongest plants." 



For further information on the subject see an 

 article, written by Dr. B. Shurtleff, N. E. Fanner, 

 \ol. ix, p. 209. 



ROTATION OP CROPS. 



" 1 cannot withhold the expression of my appro- 

 bation of the article in the last number headed ' Ro- 

 tation of crops.' The ' Monroe Farmer' under- 

 stands his business anil I hope, will often favor us 

 with the result of his experience. I should how- 

 ever differ from him in one respect. I havefound 

 by experience, that when a spring crop is taken oil 

 and wheal is to follow, the best method is to har- 

 row thoroughly, immediately, which causes all the 

 seeds of grain which may have scattered, or of 

 Weeds In vegetate. About two weeks before 

 seeding, turn all the green stuff and stubbly un- 

 der the soil, there to remain and rot. If plough- 

 ed the second timej much of the stubble is brought 

 to the surface and lost." — Genesee Farmer. 



THE LOCUSTS ARE COMING. 



Attentive observers of passing events have as- 

 certained that immense swarms of Locusts appeal 



in Ibis c try once in seventeen years. The lasl 



visitation was in 1317, and they will probably make 

 their re-appearance in -the month of May. — Mer- 

 cantile Journal. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



EXHIBITION OP PLANTS AND FLOWERS. 



Saturday, April 5th, 1834. 



M. P. Wilder, Dorchester, Ei'hium superbum, 

 and a new yellow Tea Rose. 



Messrs. Hovey, Rosa odoratissima, Var. lutea ; 

 Double yellow Tea Rose. 



Tuos. Mason, Charlesfown Vineyard, Celcis 

 critica, a new variety seed sent from the London 

 Hor. Sue. first lime of flowering ; Rhododendron 

 maximum ; Yellow Tea Rose ; Pceonia rubra ; Ixiu 

 crocata ; Calceo larin rugosa ; Antirrhinums and 

 Pelargonium, varieties. Jo.\a. WiWSHlP. 



Apples. Mackay's Sweeting, in a fine state of 

 preservation, by Johs Mackay, Esq. Weston. 



Scions from the same gentleman of the Haw- 

 tlminilean apple, to whom was awarded the first 

 premium for this fruit, were received and distrib- 

 uted. For the Committee, 



B. V. French. 



N. B. A special meeting of the society will be 

 held at their room on Saturday next at 11 A. M. 



The Magnolia, Glauca, or White Buy, producing 

 fine fragrant flowers, as brought vearlv from 

 Gloucester, will be furnished by a gentleman from 

 that place, with the routs enveloped ill earth and 

 packed each in a box, by applying at the Society's 

 Room on or before the 15lh inst. 



ITEMS OP INTELLIGENCE. 



Bangor Horticultural Society. Those who took note of 

 the proceedings of the lust Lcgislatuie, will recollect 

 that such a Society as the above was incorporated. 

 Who were its originators, or what their purpose, was but 

 recently understood. It is now given out, that it is 

 their intention to procure a suitable spot in tins vicinity 

 for horticultural and culinary purposes, that the Bangor 

 Market may be supplied with whatever this climate can 

 afford. 



In connexion with this they have another equally 

 laudable object, viz.; that of procuring some suitable 

 site for a cemetery, on the plan of Mount Auburn in 

 Cambridge. The details of their plans, as well as the 

 terms' up in which membership »i-iy be obtained, will be 

 more definitely made known hereafter by the projectors. 



Antigua. An act has been passed by the Legislature 

 of Antigua, abolishing slavery in that, island after the 

 first day of August next. In November last the Gover- 

 nor at the request of the Legislature, addressed the 

 British Government for information, whether uncon- 

 ditional abolition would be permitted, in lieu of the grad- 

 aalsystem provided by the act of Parliament. A reply 

 was received stating that the wishes of the Legislature 

 were entirely in accordance with the views of the Gov- 

 ernment and the spirit of the net of Parliament. The 

 act of total and une mditional abolition was accordingly 

 passed by the Assembly on the 13th of February, and 

 the * 'mined on the l.'tli. 



A great Yield. Mr. Daniel Griggs of Chaplin, raised 

 the last year, -u three acres of ground, one thousand and 

 fifty | nils ofelov i seed, of superior quality ; amount- 

 ing at 12 1-2 cents per pound, lo $131 75. 



Gold. It is slated in t lie city papers, that a Gold 

 mine lias been disc ivered in York county, by Calvin 

 Mason, Esq., and Dr. John Fisher of York. A bill 

 is now before the Legislature for Ihe incorporation 

 ol ,, company to mine lor gold in Lancaster, York and 

 A'Kui. s counties, and it issaid th»t the precious metals 

 have been discovered in two of the counties by the com- 

 pany that ask to be incorporated. — Pa. Tel. 



