646 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 30. 
SETTING AN EVERGREEN HEDGE. 
I note D. W. S.’s inquiry about set- 
' ting an evergreen hedge, page 885. I set 
out an evergreen hedge along the street 
line last Spring, in close proximity to 
some large maple and oak trees, and 
pursued the following plan, with the 
result that every one of the evergreens 
is living up to this time, and all have 
made from one foot to 18 inches 
growth. Early last Spring I dug a 
trench 30 inches deep by 30 inches 
wide; then filled the trench half full of 
ordinary horse manure, and let it settle 
for about a month; then filled in.within 
one foot of the top of the trench with 
the top soil that came out of the trench. 
This brought the soil up to within one 
foot of the surface of the surrounding 
soil. About two weeks after this was 
done the evergreens came (hemlocks), 
and they were set otit on top of the 
soil in the trench, the bagging being 
•taken off and the roots spread out as far 
and wide as they would if growing in 
their native bed. About three inches of 
soil was drawn into the trench and then 
a bucket of water was poured around 
each plant, making a thick puddle. Then 
dry dirt was drawn over this until the 
roots were covered at least six inches 
deep, and thoroughly tamped down. 
When set in this way the plants were 
standing in a trench three or four 
inches lower than the surrounding level, 
so that any surplus moisture from the 
surrounding ground would drain into 
thi's trench. The trench was then filled 
up level full with coarse manure to hold 
the moisture and prevent evaporation. 
The plants were fine ones about 30 
inches in diameter and the same height. 
They have grown finely all Summer but 
have been watered occasionally, as it 
has been very dry. The mulch prevents 
evaporation, and tends to conserve the 
moisture about the roots of the plants. 
My experience is that it is not good 
practice to set and fill in around any 
plant and then pour on water. Cover the 
wet earth that comes directly in con¬ 
tact with the roots of the plant with a 
mulch of dry earth; this prevents capil¬ 
lary attraction. 
If D. W. S. wants a hedge that will 
be at once attractive, easily shaped and 
long-lived I would advise him to set 
out the hemlock, Tsuga Canadensris, It 
is hardy, growing almost anywhere, re¬ 
sponding readily to ordinary attention, 
and makes the best evergreen hedge I 
know of, and can be clipped and trained 
as easily as the privet. He should not 
however try to grow a hedge from the 
wild plants; get them from a reliable 
grower who can and will guarantee that 
they have been transplanted at least 
twice, so that they shall have developed 
4 good roo'f system; then use care in 
Setting them out, mulching, and if need 
be watering, until they are firmly set. 
and he will have one of the finest 
hedges, or wind-breaks, as he desires, 
that it is possible to produce. In plant¬ 
ing for a hedge or wind-break set them 
so the branches will touch, clipping them 
back each year so that they will main¬ 
tain a symmetrical shape. j. F. 
Park Ridge, N. J. 
DAMAGES I-ROM RAILROAD FIRES. 
No better work can be done by your 
paper than to agitate this question of 
damage to farm property by fires started 
by railroad engines. The average farm¬ 
er, lacking the time, and, in many cases, 
the money, to press a claim for dam¬ 
ages against some corporation with its 
army of paid or subsidized attorneys 
has no chance whatever of recovering a 
penny and any effort which he may 
make is treated with a contemptuous line 
or two from some division claim agent. 
One railroad in the State did pay some 
claims a year or more ago, but, upon 
investigation, discovered that the money 
never reached the damaged parties, but 
had been absorbed by its own claim 
agent—the nearest approach to justice in 
these matters which has ever come to 
my attention. In future years, let us 
hope that a case may be known of a 
farmer recovering what is due him. Fires 
started by the engines of the R. W. & 
O. division of the New York Centra' 
have twice damaged my property, and 
in both cases claims for damages have 
been peremptorily dismissed because the 
fires originated on a narrow strip of 
land separating my holdings from the 
railroad right of way. Not a doubt was 
raised as to the origin of the fires, or 
an objection to the estimate of damage. 
The railroad officials simply declined to 
pay a cent on the ground that they 
couldn’t legally be compelled to do so. 
Now haven’t the farmers of this State 
power enough, politically and otherwise, 
to protect their own property, or must 
they stand around and see the railroads 
burn it and have their protests laughed 
at ? L- c - 
R. N.-Y.—Of course the farmers have 
the power if they will only concentrate 
and use it. One great reason why we 
urge the fight for direct primary nomina¬ 
tions is that by this method the plain 
people can control their representatives, 
and, through them, the Legislature. As 
it is, the politicians control. 
HOW TO HANDLE PEACH TREES. 
Eew Hampbhire —After being a sub¬ 
scriber to The It. N.-Y. for over 25 years 
I quit working in a cotton mill; bought a 
farm at the age of GO, and have planted 
about 25 acres in fruit—apples, peaches 
and plums. T-ast Spring I pruned the 
peaches quite severely to keep the heads 
down, which caused the trees to make a 
growth as dense as willow stumps. In 
August I cut out about half of the new 
shoots to open up the heads. I met Mr. 
Hale at a farmers' meeting and got his 
sanction for this, and now tho trees 
look fine, having made from three to five 
feet growth this season, the shoots ls>ing 
from half an inch to three-quarters in 
thickness and branched. What I now 
want to know is: Would it be better to 
let them hear next season, with little 
or no pruning to stop their too rapid 
growth? If pruning is better for them, 
should they he cut back below where they 
have branched, which would he altout half 
Ibis season’s growth?. Would there he 
any danger in shortening the side shoots 
this Fall to lessen the danger from ice 
storms?. Is there any danger in prun¬ 
ing young apple trees, two and three years 
planted, in Fall or Winter? 
Rooks and writers usually mention 
Spring pruning, hut I would like to prune 
as much as is safe before Spring, so as 
to get at cultivation early. The peaches 
have not been fertilized since planted, at 
which time about 800 barrels of hone and 
400 pounds of sulphate of potash was 
broadcast and plowed in as deep as could 
be with a sulky plow. The ground now 
has a cover crop. 
What About This Orchard ? 
R. M. C., Erie. Pa .—We have in Chau¬ 
tauqua County, N. Y., an apple orchard 
now about 30 years old which has been 
hearing in a half-hearted sort of a way 
for several years now. The soil is heavy 
clay, and there is no question that it needs 
drainage and a fertilizer. We are plan¬ 
ning to drain it by tiling two feet nine 
inches deep between each row. The rows 
are about 30 feet apart. After this opera¬ 
tion we want to give it the proper kind 
of fertilizing and then wish to put it into 
sod and use it as one of our sheep pas¬ 
tures. Will you advise us what fertilizer 
you would suggest and what sort of a 
grass or clover mixture you would suggest 
for the sod? The soil needs humus. The 
trees show very little growth from year 
to year; and the apples, while of excellent 
flavor, are small. When the orchard was 
originally planted we are informed that 
for several years it was in grass, and the 
grass was cut for hay and taken off and 
no fertilizer supplied. 
“ WEIGHTS AND MEASURES." 
At the New York State Fair the Superin¬ 
tendent of Weights and Measures made a 
very instructive exhibit, and the collection 
of old measures and scales shown would 
start a respectable curiosity shop. Measures 
were shown that would not hold more than 
half the amount they represented; measures 
with thick bottoms, movable bottoms and 
double bottoms. A pair of spring balance 
scales with a movable index showed how 
one ragman worked the game. A wooden 
pail commonly used by hucksters was neatly 
lined with cement to a considerable thick- 
iess. so the purchaser was getting less than 
half the outside of the pail would indicate. 
Packages of cereals and crackers contain 
much less than they are supposed to, and 
were originally advertised to contain. Some 
brands of raisins were found to weigh hut 
13 ounces to the carton, putting the honest 
packer at a great disadvantage in the mar¬ 
ket. This exhibit brings to mind an inci¬ 
dent the superintendent of this department 
related to me early last Summer. He went 
to a meat market in Albany and asked the 
price of lamb chops, and on being told 20 
cents per pound, ordered a certain number, 
which were accordingly cut and weighed. 
They were then trimmed, wrapped and 
handed over to him with a charge of $1.40. 
He immediately unwrapped the chops he 
had bought for seven pounds, weighed them 
and found he had .lust one and three-quarter 
pounds. This is. of course, an extreme case, 
but there are others no doubt as had or 
worse. In parts of the State where no 
inspection has existed, this Department 
has found 75 per cent of the weights and 
measures faulty, 70 per cent being to the 
detriment of consumers. 
G. n s. 
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