512 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



made a most luxuriant growth ; and as many such 

 fields \vill have to be plowed for wheat, and other 

 fall crops, it becomes a matter of much importance 

 to know how we can best turn them under with the 

 plow, so as to be completely out of the way of the 

 harrow and drill. An excellent way to do this, is 

 to fasten one end of a hea\T log-chain to the end of 

 the doubletree to which the furrow, or off horse is 

 attached, bringing the other under the beam of the 



?low, just before the sheath, and confining it there, 

 he chain should lag enough to touch the ground, 

 or nearly so. A little practice will teach how tight 

 it should be. By this plan the weeds are drawn 

 into the furrow and completely covered by the fur- 

 row-slice foiling on them while there. Will some- 

 body tell us of a better way ? 



For the New England Farmer. 



ABOUT HEDGES. 



Mr. Editor : — As you always seem willing to 

 answer questions propounded by correspondents, I 

 presume so for as to inquire something about hedg- 

 es, which if you will please answer in the Farmer, I 

 think will not only enlighten the writer, but many 

 others that wish to grow fine hedges. 



I set out, last spring, one thousand Osage Orange. 

 The plants were twelve inches high, and I cut them 

 do^vn to three inches. During the summer, they 

 have made from twenty-five to thirty inches, new 

 wood. When should they be again cut down, and 

 how low ? 



I have some thrifty Honey Locust, (Acacia,) Priv- 

 et and English Thorn hedges, of two years stand- 

 ing. They were cropped twice last season — then 

 again cut down witliin eighteen inches, and sides 

 trimmed in last June. Do you ad\dse to trim in 

 again this fall ? 



When is the proper time to cut in Arbor Vitoe 

 hedges — say a hedge that has made a large growth 

 the present season, and is now thirty to tliirty-six 

 inches high ? A. R. 



Loivdl, August 21th, 1855. 



feet high, and thick at the base ; it is very hand- 

 some, the foliage resembling that of the orange tree ; 

 retains its verdure under the most intense heat, and 

 the severest drought, but if it be planted in rich soil, 

 or highly manured, it is almost certain to winter- 

 kill. We hope it will receive fm-ther trial. 



Privet is apt to die off without an apparent cause. 

 Many years ago, miles of Privet hedge died off in 

 New Jersey, {vide Fessendtn's American Gar- 

 dener.) 



The English Thorn is liable to attacks of the 

 borer, which causes gaps in the hedge. It makes a 

 beautiful hedge. Downing found salt very beneficial 

 to this plant. 



The Arbor VitfB is not a very effective hedge 

 plant ; it makes a good screen, and as it naturally 

 branches out low, it does not require much pmning ; 

 if it makes too long leaders, head them in. 



The best time for pruning hedges, we think, is the 

 autumn ; prune so as to get a wide base resting up- 

 on the ground ; the top Avill take care of itself. The 

 reason for Autumn pruning is found in the fact that 

 after the fall of the leaf, organizable matter is formed 

 in the wood and buds, and the fewer buds left by 

 the autumn jn'uning are charged with a correspond- 

 ing increase of this substance, and grow with more 

 vigor, and are more quickly excited into growth in 

 the following spring. 



REJLtRKS. — The Buckthorn is generally consid- 

 ered the best plant for hedges in New England. 

 It is a slow grower in poor soil, and requires severe 

 heading in, to get a tliick and wide base to the 

 hedge. 



The three-thomod Acacia, or Honey Locust, is a 

 ramjjant grower, and almost sure to get out of hand 

 and make trees instead of hedge plants ; we have not 

 met with a good hedge of this plant. It has strong 

 thorns, and perhaps could be kept down by severe 

 pnming, so as to get a thick base, but we tliink a 

 better hedge could be made of the 



Osage Orange. — This plant has proved hardy in 

 some cases, and tender in others, in the same Wcin- 

 ity ; the conditions of its successful growth seem to 

 be a dry and poor soil, wherein they will not grow 

 too rapidly, and that they shall not be summer- 

 pruned, which would cause a great growth of watery 

 shoots in the latter part of the season, which would 

 be likely to die in the winter. We know a hedge 

 row of this plant, now six years old, which has nev- 

 er been prmied, growing in poor soil, eight to ten 



For the New England Farmer. 



MURIATE OF LIME. 



Mr. Editor : — x\bout two years since, I purchased 

 the estate in this town upon Winter Hill, where I 

 now reside. 'There are attached to the house, about 

 three acres of land, upon which, until the present 

 season, I have labored in vain to raise com, potatoes 

 and squashes. The soil appeared to be rich, but 

 owing to the scanty production of the first season, 

 the second it was well manured with stable ma- 

 nure, and such other as was produced upon the es- 

 tate ; but the gain was slight. There was an abmi- 

 dance of rines and stalk in every case, but little 

 strength to either. The potatoes were small and 

 watery, and did not pay for the trouljle of jilanting. 



This season I was requested, by a friend, to try 

 Gould's muriate of lime. I did so, but with little 

 faith in its success. You may imagine my surprise, 

 when I camo to dig my potatoes, to find, not a mis- 

 erable crop like that of previous years, but one of 

 as fine potatoes as I have ever seen, and just four 

 times the quantity. The difference in the yield of 

 my corn and squash vines was in about the same 

 proportion. 



As my next neighbors have had similar success to 

 mine of previous years, a good opportunity is offered 

 for comparison, and any information that I can give 

 in relation to this fertilizer, will be given willingly, 

 as I consider my gain this year has been occasioned 

 by the use of this fertilizer alone. 



Respectfully, &c., JoHN W. Brooks. 



Somerville, Sept. 2Uh, 1855. 



K^" Brave actions are the substance of life, and 

 good savings the ornament of it. 



