128 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



winter and spring frosts. I do not, however, believe 

 that the Silver-leaved Poplar is as well adapted as 

 some other kinds of trees. These conveniences for 

 man and protection of beast, did not escape the 

 ken of the All-wise Creator, as he made trees 

 with the same exact niceness for shelter and pro- 

 tection that he did everything else. It really seems 

 to me, therefore, that those that keep their blankets 

 through the winter, ai'e more desirable than the 

 Poplar, that lays off hers, at the approach of cold 

 weather, down to the naked poles. In this instance 

 it would hardly pay to attempt to change the laws 

 of Nature, as it would reqiure much less breadth 

 of ti-ees, covered with their thick foliage for pro- 

 tection, than those that had none; and if I was to 

 recommend any particular tree, it would be the 

 Balsam, as the hardiest to stand the bleak wind and 

 cold, and their limbs are more strong, and better 

 prepared to stand the heavy snow that falls and 

 lies on them, than any otlier. They are much less 

 liable to all insects, than the Poplar, and are a long- 

 lived tree, and require no looking after, longer than 

 the second year, as they never sprout nor want 

 trimming, nor do their limbs or top decay, as the 

 Poplar, and will grow well on cold, wet, and will 

 grow on warm, dry land, and will make as perfect 

 a protection in fifteen years after being set out, as a 

 side of a building, if care is taken in setting, to put 

 each alternate one, with branches starting out from 

 the ground, and the otlier, five or six feet from the 

 ground. Three rows thus set, is quite sutBcient if 

 set twelve feet apart; or two, if eight feet. 



I would not recommend a farmer to purchase 

 tliose trees of any man that brings them along for 

 sale, but go to the woods himself at the time they 

 change their foliage, and take them up without 

 breaking or even marring the roots, and pack them 

 well in moss, (which will be found most generally 

 in great abundance where the trees grow,) keep 

 them wet until set. The hi ile,s sliould be dug before 

 the trees are brought home, that thoy need not be 

 kept out of the ground longer tlian possible. — 

 Mulch them well with straw as soon as set, and 

 keep it sufficiently wet to keep the roots moist 

 through the dry season, the first as well as the 

 second after setting. After that, they need the 

 least care of any tree that grows. 



Ilornby, N. Y. MarcJu, 21, 1S.58. A. B. DICKINSON. 



EXPERIMENTS ON HEDGING WITH THE OSAGE 

 OBANGE. 



Editors Gbnesek Faumek: — My rail timber 

 being all used up, the question came forcihly to my 

 mind, what am I going to do for fencing material 

 hereafter? I have tried post and rail, and board 

 fence, but they have proved of very short duration. 

 Tlie best timber we have here for posts is white 

 oak, and they generally rot off at the ground in the 

 course of ten or twelve years. Those that have 

 tried wire fence, find that it not to be depended 

 upon for durability. Therefore, taking all things 

 into consideration, I have come to the conclusion 

 that a good hedge fence is the most durable and the 

 cheapest fence, in the long run, that a farmer can 

 make. 



I was traveling in the State of Ohio, in the fall 

 of 1850, and was very much pleased with the beau- 

 tiful appearance of an Osage Orange hedge I saw 

 there ; so, when I got home, I concluded I would 



try the experiment. The next spring, I procured 

 a quart of the seed and planted it in the garden ; 

 and not knowing then how to manage it, but about 

 two-thirds of it came up. Still, I had enough to 

 set out 40 rods of hedge, which I planted the 

 spring following, after removing the fence and 

 plowing the ground well. I thought at that time, 

 like a good many others, that I had nothing more 

 to do with it, after planting it, but to trim it occa- 

 sionally tiU it became a fence; but I have found 

 out since where I foiled. The grass grew up 

 among it, and it grew but slowly. It should have 

 been hoed occasionally, and the grass kept down. 

 I have about 100 rods that I have planted since, 

 which I have planted differently, which is now far 

 ahead of the first 40 rods. I hoe it twice a year, 

 spring and fall, and cut it oft' each year about the 

 first of September, which I think is better than to 

 cut it in the spring. The first three years, I cnt it 

 two, four, and six inches from the ground in order 

 to have it branch out and get a good broad founda- 

 tion; .after that, I cut it a foot higher each year 

 from the previous one, till I got it about five feet 

 high. After that, trim the sides and toj) with the 

 hedge shears. 



But my experience teaches me that there is a 

 better plan to rai.-e a hedge, which I shall adopt 

 hereafter ; and that is, to plant the seed immedi- 

 ately in the hedge row, which will save the trouble 

 of transplanting ; and I think I can get a fence a 

 year or two sooner by that means. My plan will 

 be as follows: — 



In the first place, spade up a strip about three 

 feet wide, the length you want your hedge, (which 

 I think is better than to plow it;) put the spade 

 down about a foot, and be careful to bury aU the 

 grass underneath ; then take an iron toothed rake 

 and rake the ground over smooth, raising it highest 

 in the middle. It is now ready for the seed, which, 

 if you plant in the spring, must be sprouted in 

 order to have it gi'ow immediately. My method of 

 sprouting is as follows; I soak the seed twenty- 

 four hours in a strong brine; then I take it out and 

 put it in a shallow box, keeping it damp with warm 

 water sprinkled over it occasionally, and keep a 

 wet woolen cloth on top of it, and set it by a warm 

 stove, and they will sprout in ten or twelve days. 

 But if you plant in the fell, the sprouting may be 

 dispensed with, as the frost will loosen the hull so 

 that they will come up in the spring. When you 

 are ready for planting, get a line, say five rods long, 

 and make a red mark on it chalk every ten inches, 

 (which is the distance I plant them apart now,) 

 streteh it along the centre; then take two seeds up 

 between your finger and thumb, and press them 

 into the ground, about an inch deep, opposite each 

 red mark on the line. By putting two seeds in a 

 place, if one should fail to grow, there would still 

 be enough left. The spring following, out them oflf 

 about an inch above the ground; and when there 

 is two in a hill, out one off an inch below the ground, 

 which is better than to pull it up. Keep them well 

 hood for three or four years, and cut them each 

 year as I have before stated. They must be pro^ 

 tected from cattle and sheep for at least five years. 

 After that they cannot hurt them ; and in six or 

 seven years you will have a fence that will turn 

 anything, and one that will last your lifetime and 

 your children after you. j. h. p. 



(forham, JT. Y. 



