Proceedings of tee Farmers' Club. 427 



Baeberrt Hedge. 

 Hv. F. A. Fuller, Hastings, Barry coiiutj, Mich,, speaks favorablj 

 of this hedge in his State, but he wishes to know whether it blasts 

 adjoining crops. The answer is that an intelligent man made quite 

 a journey through a farming region in Connecticut last harvest to 

 ascertain if this were a fact, and after a full trial he could find no 

 evidence. 



Steel Plows. 



Mr. J. K. Bull wishes to know if steel plows are better than cast 

 iron in sandy, gravely, or hard-pan soil. 



Mr. ]^. G. Meeker. — Steel plows are used more in the west and 

 southwest than cast iron, and on light soil they are preferred. 



Fence Posts. 



Mr. Isaac Eyre, Attleboro, Bucks county, Pa. — In 18i2 I helped 

 to make and set two gate posts that were hewn both together, from 

 the body of one white oak tree, which was perfectly sound ; the one 

 set butt down rotted off in twelve years, and the one set top down 

 was not rotted entirely off at the end of eighteen years, and they 

 were only eleven feet apart. In 1843, I set thirty-five panels of good 

 cedar fence, with red cedar posts, most of which were set top down, 

 and they are yet standing, but all that were set butt down have 

 rotted off and have been replaced. In 1844 I split two posts from a 

 sound chestnut log, and set them within eleven feet of each other ; 

 the one set butt down has rotted oft', and was replaced several j'ears 

 ago, and the one top down is a good post, and yet standing. I have 

 now on my farm many posts set top down that have been standing 

 for the past thirty-one years, and not one butt down left that was put 

 in at the same time. 



Blackberries. 



Mr. Joseph Garst, Springfield, Ohio, wishes to knovr how black- 

 berries are propagated or managed. 



*Mr. X. C. Meeker. — Nurserymen raise them from root cuttings, 

 made in the fall or' even spring, and planted in drills in well pre- 

 pared "ground. They are best planted six feet apart,' the richer the 

 ground the better, ;md cultivation should be thorough from spring to 

 September. The Kittatinny and Willson are the best varieties. It 

 is hardly worth while for one who does not understand the manage- 

 ment to undertake propagation, nor for men unacquainted with 



