374 



HEDGES. 



The plants now growing at the station for hedge purposes 

 are the buffalo berry, wild plum,, silver leaf (Eleagnus argentea), 

 Caragana, Buckthorn, Russian Wild Olive, Tartartian, Honey- 

 suckle, silver maple, golden Russian willow and red cedar. 



They may be divided into two classes, those used for fences 

 against stock and the strictly ornamental hedges though of course 

 all may be made more or less ornamental. 



The golden Russian willow is the one we have planted inrst 

 extensively probably because it costs less to get it started. It 

 grows readily from cuttings, is very ornamental both in summer 

 and winter and when required grows large enough to make a 

 line shelter and heavy enough to protect against stock. 



The cuttings are set early in the spring about a foot apart 

 and in soil that can be kept cultivated. The cultivation should 

 continue along the sides of the hedge for three or four years. 

 After the plants are two or three years old they should be cut 

 back to the ground so they w T ill make a dense growth. The other 

 plants making heavy stout hedges are the buffalo berry, wild plum, 

 Russian wild olive and silver maple. These are not grown from 

 cuttings, but from young plants. In some respects the buffalo 

 berry makes one of the best hedges. It is of course perfectly har V, 

 is free from disease or insect attack, well armed with formidable 

 spines, holds its foliage till very late in the season, and is very 

 ornamental. The fruit is also valuable in making jelly. 



When grown in cultivated ground it has the habit of send- 

 ing up suckers about the old plants. While these mav .be easily 

 kept down yet the habit may be considered a slight objection to 

 the plant. When the land alongside is seeded down the suckers 

 do not appear.' 



The wild plum suckers worse than the buffalo berry, but. 

 as with that plant, when the land has once been seeded down, the 

 tendency to sucker is not serious. 



Both of these plants require less attention in the wry of 

 trimming thn the willow, but on the other hand do not grow 

 as fast. They should also be planted about a foot apart and kept 

 cultivated till they are well established. The silver maple is a 

 stronger grower than anv of the plants mentioned and makes an 

 excellent hedge. le requires however a deep moist soil and is 

 not generally considered a success outside the Red River Valley. 

 Where a hedge is required large enough to afford a shelter it 

 is probably the best plant to be found in soils where it will grow. 



