370 



THTi: ILLIIs3"OIS F^VRMEK. 



great labor and puins to keep thein in 

 perfect sluip and condition. Long time 

 must elapse before we can expect to see 

 our go-ahead people exercise so much 

 care and patience, merely to give a pleas- 

 ing effect to the appearance of their 

 hedges. For the present at least, we 

 shall expect to see thera influenced only 

 by considerations of utility and economy, 

 in which view alone it is, the writer's aim 

 to present the claims of live fencing, as 

 an enterprise eminently adapted to our 

 country, while at the same time it takes 

 rank as a first class necessity. To be 

 convinced that the non- inclosure systcn\ 

 (advocated by a few,) will never obtain 

 in a country like ours, we have only to 

 take a glance at our rural population, 

 with its great diversity of tests, senti- 

 ments and conditions. 



Tlie fence, though an expensive item 

 of husbandry, is indispensable; it there- 

 fore behooves us to thoroughly canvass 

 the various modes, and adopt the one 

 that proves the most efficacious, the most 

 complete aud durable barrier, while, at 

 the same time, it involves the least cost 

 in its construction and perpetuity. This 

 ■\ve claim for the live fence; 1st — be- 

 cause when properly made it forms the 

 most complete and impassible barrier 

 against all stock. 2d — the average cost 

 of rearing the hedge, especially on the 

 prairies, will bo. found to be far less 

 than that of any sufficient wooden fence. 

 3d — the completed hedge will improve 

 for years, and its benefit will insure to 

 future generations, whilst the fence of 

 dead wood in any form, is steadily de- 

 caying and subject to prostration by the 

 wind and destruction by fire, and at the 

 best reqciires renewing every few years. 

 The annual trimming of the former will 

 prove a TOUch lighter tax than the con- 

 stant repairs required by the latter. We 

 can of course form but a vague estimate 

 of the adv-antage to our whole country 

 which might result from the general 

 adoption of this plan of live fencing. 

 The aggregate cost of the fences in any 

 well settled prairie township, even would 

 astonish any one not accustomed to think 

 of it. One of the shrewdest calculators, 

 (Dr. Pennington, of Sterling, ) has 

 shown that if all the arable lands of Illi- 

 nois, or say two-thirds of the State, were 

 fenced into fields of convenient size, 

 at the ordinary or average cost, it would 

 require the enormous sum of ^140,000,- 

 000 ! Now, it is our settled conviction 

 that at least one-half of this immense 

 sum might be sa-ved in the first cost, by 

 the adoption of the hedging system, while 

 the saving in a scries of years would be 

 incalculable. 



Nature has given us a soil of unsur- 

 passed richne^js, and every condition 

 necessary to growth of fences upon it. 

 She has also furnished us with a material 

 exactly suited to the purpose. Though 



thousands have failed with the Madura, I 

 iVoni exDcrience and want of proper care, 

 not a single instance has occurred within 

 the writer's knowledge, in which a fail- 

 ure has been the result of a fair trial. 



On the other band, many have suc- 

 ceeded, and are now enjoying the secu- 

 rity, satisfaction and delight resulting 

 from their judicious efforts. "With them 

 hedging is in high favor. Many testi- 

 monials from such persons might be pro- 

 duced to corroborate our assertions, but 

 we will select only one, an extract from 

 a letter of Mr. Henry J. Chase, one of 

 the best practical uholesale farmers in 

 the State. 



An inspection of his own extensive 

 farm, os well as those belonging to Jubi- 

 lee College, which he also superintends, 

 convinces one that he does nothing "by 

 halves." In fact he is just such a farm- 

 er as Illinois has reason to be proud 

 of. 



Robin's Nest, Oct. 13th, 1857. 



Dear Sir: — I am better pleased this 

 year with the looks of our hedges than 

 ever. There are hundreds of miles in 

 this neighborhood that are not perfect 

 fences. I have yet to see the first plant 

 that has been winter-killed, that was 

 over two years old, while winter before 

 last killed over one hundred seeding ap- 

 ple trees in tne old orchard planted by 

 Prince, thirty years since. There is a 

 great deal of hedge in this neighborhood 

 that two years ago I thought would never 

 make a fence, it had been so much neg- 

 lected and was so lull of gaps. This 

 spring it was "plashed" and is now a 

 perfect fence. As to the cost, any farm- 

 er can calculate it for himself. After 

 paying for the plants and setting, it will 

 cost just the same as a row of potatoes, 

 and this labor is required only two years, 

 the third year only one plowing in June, 

 and the hedge is ready to lay by. The 

 best fence I have seen is that that has 

 had the least trimming. I have now 

 some twenty miles completed and turned 

 out, which is entirely stock proof. 

 Yours, very truly, 



Henry J. Chase." 



By the above it will he seen that to 

 Mr. C, at least, the hedging has not 

 proved a "humbug," nor will it prove so 

 to any one (favorably situated,) who 

 will pursue the same straight-forward 

 course, and simply do things right. 



There is no reason why any farmer in 

 Illinois may not succeed by the same 

 rule and with the same certainty as Mr. 

 Chase, provided his land is dry enough 

 for ordinary tillage. All that is requir- 

 ed is a knowledge of cultivation, (which 

 is extremely simple.) and a resolute will 

 to carry it out. There are now few in- 

 telligent farmers who will not readily 

 admit that a good hedge may be made 

 of the Madura, and that It is every way 

 calculated to supply the gieat defect of 



our country. But the question is heard 

 in every quarter, "How are we to get 

 our fences made ? Wo have so much 

 on hand that i*^ we undertake to hedge 

 we shall be apt to neglect it and fail, as 

 many have already done. We have no 

 further confidence in the 'hedge specula- 

 tors' since they have overrun the coun- 

 try, made a 'botch' of the whole affair, 

 and generally 'fizzled out.' '' &c., &c. 

 We would sujjffest to the farmers, that 

 if they cannot employ men m whom they 

 can rely to make their hedges, that they 

 go at this important undertaking them- 

 selves, in earnest. To be content to 

 farm less for the time being, or if need 

 be hire a good reliable hand, and make 

 it his business to attend to the setting 

 and cultivation of the hedges in the prop- 

 er season, under your own supervision. 

 The following directions and remarks 

 are deduced from long experience and 

 close observation, and the writer has en- 

 deavored to make them so plain and 

 explicit that no one who follows them 

 strictly need fail in the attempt. He- 

 solve to ^^ivin" if you commence, for in 

 no other undertaking is a failure so 

 despicable and sickening as in this. 



THE VARIOUS HEDGE PLANTS. 



Besides the Madura, or Osage Orange, 

 there are a number of tree shrubs, which 

 have been successfully used for hedges, 

 a few of which we will notice here. 



The Virginia Thorn is perfectly hardy, 

 bears cutting well, grows thick, and by 

 plashing it forms a sufficiently strong 

 and close hedge, easily shorn and highly 

 ornamental, but it requires long time, 

 and care and practice to perfect it. 



The Buck Thorn is very hardy. It 

 grows faster than the above, and vath 

 many stems when cropped, but it is near- 

 ly destitute of thorns and spines. Or- 

 namental hedges are formed of the Priv- 

 et, and some other shrubs, but for this 

 purpose nothing is so charming as a row 

 of well clipped evergreens, though only 

 adapted to gardens, lawns, &c. The 

 varieties most suitable are the Jied and 

 White Oeda7's, the Siberian Arhorvitce, 

 the Ifemlock, the JSTorway Sjjruce, &c. 

 For the farm and field hedge, (of which 

 it is our present purpose to treat,) there 

 is probably no plant in the vegetable 

 kingdom better adapted to our purpose 

 than the Madura; to. it, therefore, will 

 the details of the following pages exclu- 

 sively apply. 



THE SEED, PREPARATION, &C 



The seed of the Madura, as almost 

 every one knows, is brought from Texas, 

 where the tree grows Avild. It is some- 

 times damaged in the process of getting 

 it out, and sometimes in transportation, 

 and if not thoroughly dry when stored 

 in bulk it is liable to heat and destroy 

 the germ. Good seed, on being cut or 

 broken, appear bright, lively and crisp. 



I.- 



