LIVE FENCE. 61 



Statement of Charles Mason. 



The Live Fence or Hedge, entered by me for a premium, 

 in its whole length extends about sixty rods. About one- 

 half of it is Buckthorn, the rest Three-thorned Acacia, — some- 

 times called Honey Locust. 



The experiment was made under considerable disadvan- 

 tages. The ground, naturally not of the best in respect to 

 the quality of the soil, had not been put into proper condi- 

 tion to insure the most successful result. The Hedge was 

 planted on the line of a public road, recently built, the grad- 

 ing of Avhich required more or less cutting and filling ; and to 

 bring the hedge-bed to conform to the grade of the road, it 

 was necessary to raise or lower the ground in places, to suit 

 the case. The consequence was a great diversity in the soil 

 along the line; and this has occasioned a corresponding ine- 

 quality in the growth of the plants. 



The preparation, such as it was, consisted in ploughing up, 

 the 3'ear previous, a narrow strip along w^iere the Hedge 

 was to stand, and in digging, at the time of transplanting, a 

 trench about a foot deep and two feet wide, whicii was filled 

 up with such loam, but indifferent in quality, as could con- 

 veniently be obtained for the purpose ; and in this the plants 

 were set. 



The Buckthorn Hedge was set out mostly in 1859, the res- 

 idue in 1861. The plants were raised from seed sown by 

 myself in 1858. When transplanted for the Hedge they were 

 set in two parallel rows, the rows being a foot apart, the 

 plants sixteen inches apart in each row, a plant in one row 

 being opposite the middle of the space between two plants 

 in the opposite row. So far as my observation extends, this 

 arrangement, for the Buckthorn, in respect to the location 

 and distance apart of the plants, is satisfactory, and suited 

 to produce a close, compact and effective hedge. 



The plants when set were cut back to the length of three 

 or four inches above the ground, and planted at about the 

 same depth as they originall}^ grew. If, as happened in very 

 rare instances, a plant failed, another was substituted in its 

 place as soon as the failure was apparent. 



After the Hedge was set out, no special labor was bestowed 

 upon it, except to keep it hoed and clear of weeds until the 

 plants had come to occupy the ground; to enrich any spots 

 where the soil was poorer, and the plants consequently 

 weaker, so as to effect a more equal and even growth ; and 

 to trim the Hedge. The trimming has consisted in cutting 

 the shoots back, once in a year, commonly in the spring, 

 rarely in the autumn, to within two, three or four inches of 

 the last cutting. In this way the Hedge has come forward 



