47 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
voeates. Of all these, however, the Osage Orange 
has decidedly been the choice, as the most prom¬ 
ising in utility and ultimate success. The ob- 
iections to the Yellow Locust, and three-thorned 
Acacia are, that they are trees, not shrubs, and 
besides, they throw out numerous suckers, far 
away from their trunks, and create a perpetual 
pest to cultivation. The Arbor Vita; is also a 
tree, and although by its being an evergreen, it 
might afford protection to the fields, and crops, 
it becomes, in time, unmanagable, and too bulky 
for the purpose, of fencing, simply—a fault com¬ 
mon to the other trees already named, even were 
they free from suckers. The Osage Orange, then, 
stands alone as the present popularly proposed 
hedge plant in our Northern, and Middle States. 
It is indigenous in the Mississippi latitudes of 32° 
to 38°, and in most localities within these, per¬ 
fectly hardy. It is a beautiful, thi'ifty shrub of 
maximum size,rapid in growth,and if thickly plant¬ 
ed, is impervious to the entrance of farm stock of 
any kind. It produces no suckers, and in its 
training and habits is entirely managable. Thus 
far its characteristics are in its favor. 
Within the last ten years so rapidly has it come 
into favor with the advocates of hedging that ex¬ 
tensive nurseries of the Osage Orange have been 
sown and cultivated ; thousands of miles of it have 
been planted on the Western-prairies, and on old 
farms, once wooded, where fencing timber has be¬ 
come scarce ; and professional hedgers have ad¬ 
vertised, and contracted for planting it by the 
mile, embracing millions of plants, and extending 
many miles in distance. These experiments, 
however, have been too recent to form an accu¬ 
rate opinion of their future success. There is 
this drawback, however. They are, in any lati¬ 
tude above 37° north, liable to winter-kill. We 
have seen mile after mile of them in Southern and 
Central Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, with the past 
year’s growth of four, five or six feet, ltttlcd to the 
ground. There was no fault in cultivation, for 
the land was well ridged, plowed, and hoed along 
the lines of hedge—want of hardihood, only, be¬ 
ing the apparent difficulty. To such extent have 
a multitude of these young Osage hedges been 
successively winter-killed, that many who 
attempted them became discouraged, and aban¬ 
doned them, after a few years trial, and resorted 
to other modes of enclosure. Yet, even further 
north, as high as latitude 42°, occasional lines of 
Osage hedges are seen, apparently promising, 
but, as yet, too recently planted to judge of their 
ultimate success. Occasional trees, single, and 
alone are planted with success. We have one in 
our own grounds near latitude 43 v north, planted 
twenty years ago, eight inches in diameter near 
the ground, and fifteen feet high, which has suf¬ 
fered hut occasional killing back in its young wood 
through the late severe Winters. Taken alto¬ 
gether, we can give no conclusive opinion of the 
value or the Osage Orange as a successful hedge 
plant. Years to come must determine the ques¬ 
tion. l et, to say the least of it, there may be lo¬ 
calities north of 37° where it may, and probably 
will succ-eed, and a grand desideratum will be 
established in our fencing economy, if it shall be 
found to be more generally successful. 
Thus, the adoption of hedges as a permanent 
American farm fence is undecided; or, at all 
events, is wanting further trial than it has yet 
had, to base any immediate calculation on its 
adoption ; and even should it succeed, the farm, 
and its fields must be temporarily fenced with 
rails, or boards for some years, while the hedges 
are growing—no trifling expense. But of this we 
need not speak, only incidentally. Sufficient for 
the day is the evil thereof. 
For ornamental enclosures in home grounds, in 
villages, or about country dwellings, and where 
the hedge is not relied on as a protection against 
animals roaming at large, various shrubs are used 
with decidedly agreeable effect. The Arbor Vital 
for many years answers an excellent purpose, with 
a deal of labor in trimming. The privet is a beau¬ 
tiful shrub—almost an evergreen—managable, and 
easy to cultivate, and control. It is sometimes, 
in our severe latitude, liable to winter-kill, but 
not often. Some of the hardier roses, as the 
“ Prairie Rose,” in the Northern and Middle 
States, and the “ Cherokee Rose” in the South, 
with an intermixture of the privet to hold them 
up, they being climbers, frequently make a beauti¬ 
ful hedge, with considerable strength of resist¬ 
ance. The Buckthorn, and crab-apple are also 
fine plants for the larger class of ornamental 
hedges—the latter, in its magnificent bloom, 
overpowering odor, and rich yellow, but nearly 
worthless fruit, is unique in its effect, while the 
other is uninteresting, and sombre in appearance. 
After all, it is not impossible that in our broad 
American woods yet unpenetrated, some valua¬ 
ble hedge plant may be discovered, applica¬ 
ble to all our soils, and climates. Should such 
be the case, untold benefits may in the future be 
derived from its discovery ; although we are free 
to say, that while the present changeable tenure 
of our landed system prevails in the sale and 
transfer of our farms from one owner to another, 
their sub-division, and extension, hedges should 
be permanently adopted for no other than roadside 
enclosures. We must become a more fixed, and 
stable people in our agricultural homes and hab¬ 
its before the full benefits of hedges, as a fencing 
material, can be fully appreciated and adopted. 
In our next article we shall give the most ap¬ 
proved modes of planting, growing, and training 
the hedge. 
Culture of Buckwheat- 
Enjoying daily, as perhaps all our readers now 
are, the welcome dish of “ hot cakes, piping hot,” 
what more timely than a word about growing 
buckwheat 1 It was formerly called Beech -wheat 
from the resemblance of the kernel to the beech¬ 
nut. It is supposed to be a native of Asia, and 
is now extensively used in China and other ori¬ 
ental countries and in Europe, for making bread 
and cakes and gruel. It is cultivated extensively 
in many parts of the United States, and in some 
sections is hardly less important than the wheat- 
crop. The average price per bushel is fifty cents. 
Considering the short time required for growing 
it—about seventy-five days—it is a very profita¬ 
ble crop. 
The land on which it is to be grown, should be 
brought into fine tilth and be well manured. 
Bone-dust or plaster and ashes make an excellent 
dressing for it, and barn-yard manure is not lost 
upon it, if judiciously applied. The old notion 
that the poorest land is good enough for buck¬ 
wheat, is now well nigh discarded. And the truth 
of another notion, that it is a very exhausting crop, 
is also doubted. One reason why it kills out 
weeds and grass is, that the land for growing it 
is plowed and harrowed in mid-summer, and so 
exposes the roots of every green thing to the 
scorching sun ; and then the rapid growth of the 
grain overshadows and smothers every other 
thing that springs up. It is almost sure death to 
Canada thistles, if this crop is followed by oats 
and clover. The time of sowing varies with the 
season, from the middle of June to the middle of 
July, though in ordinary seasons, it is hazardous 
to sow later than the fourth of July. If sown 
too early, it is liable to blast, if too late, the frost 
overtakes it. Half or three-quarters of a bushel 
of good seed is enough for an acre. The average 
yield is from twenty to thirty bushels. If cut be¬ 
fore frost, the straw is very palatable to cattle, 
and especially to sheep. All things considered, 
buckwheat is one of the most remunerating 
crops a farmer can raise. 
Mink and Muskrat Hunting. 
“ And what in the world, has hunting minks, 
and muskrats to do with farming V’ say our 
sober readers. No matter. Ask the boys, and 
hear what they say about it. If they live where 
such “ varmints ” congregate, and don’t brighten 
up their faces with the idea, why,, then they are 
not such hoys as—we used to be. That’s all. 
There are a great many farms near woods, and 
water courses, small ponds, and big lakes, where 
minks and muskrals live, and multiply, and do a 
deal of damage to the farmer. The minks kill 
the poultry. The muskrats play the deuce with 
the ditches, and embankments, and we have not 
yet found that either of them do half as much 
good, as they do mischief; while, on the other 
hand, mink skins are now worth a dollar and a- 
half to two dollars or more a pair, and muskrats— 
just as much as you can get for them—perhaps 
a quarter of a dollar. The “ furriers ” tell us that 
fur caught in any month without an “ r” in it, is 
worthless ; and as April runs, in some parts of 
the country, into warm weather, when the crea¬ 
tures are breeding, March is the latest month to 
hunt them in, while February is still better. Now 
then is the time to stir about and catch them. 
Minks frequently live in the woods, in Winter, 
not far from streams, if there be any in the vicin¬ 
ity, and their haunts are found by their tracks in 
the snow. They may be caught with any kind of 
small steel-traps, box-traps, or figure 4, which 
last ones, every boy knows how to make ; and 
the trays are baited with a piece of fresh meat, 
or fish, of almost any kind. Good steel-traps are, 
however, the best. So, set them towards night, 
where you know the minks and muskrats run. 
Secure them by a hit of cord to a peg in the ground, 
sapling, or old log, and leave them. Next morn¬ 
ing, go to the traps. If you have caught the crea¬ 
ture, you know well enough what to do with him. 
If not, why, try again, and hope for better luck- 
next time. 
But, there is great sport in mink hunting with 
a smart terrier dog—two are better—unless the 
minks get into along hole where they can not be 
followed, the dogs are sure to have them, in short 
order. Our own terriers are famous in that line, 
and from being overrun with minks and weasels 
a few years ago, we now scarcely find one in a 
twelve-month. Our poultry are safe—from them, 
at least. 
- O < - naa -$^gns»—-h-<*>--— 
Tiie Pigeon-Hawk and the Woodcock.— E. 
Y. B., of Wallingford, Ct., relates the following 
incident which he witnessed when a boy, which 
was recalled by the illustrated article on the 
Sparrow-hawk, given in December Agriculturist, 
Vol. 17, p. 366. Returning one morning from 
visiting a trap set by him, a woodcock went 
whistling up a short distance before him, when 
almost at the same instant, a pigeon-hawk 
swooped down with unerring aim from a tree 
near by, and bore the woodcock to the ground. 
Not having a gun, Mr. B. thought he would be 
“ in at the death,” and secure the woodcock. 
Having waited long enough as he supposed, for 
the bird to be dead and picked, he walked up and 
the hawk retreated, leaving the woodcock, who, 
finding himself released, took to the woods, naked, 
leaving only feathers for the disappointed hunter 
