160 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
HEDGES. 
We give above a representation of a section of a three thorned 
locust hedge, ( Gleditschia iriacanthos) which has been twice laid, 
showing the manner in which this operation is performed. The 
way we manage these hedges is, to manure well a strip of ground, 
where it is intended to plant a hedge, at least eight or ten feet wide, 
plough it deep, and crop it with potatoes. When the potatoes are 
off, we draw a line, either in the fall or spring, and dig a sufficient 
trench, on the line of the intended fence, a spade deep, with a per¬ 
pendicular edge on the line side, and throw the earth on the oppo¬ 
site side. The plants are sized and then planted at ten inches apart 
upon the line. The ground is kept free from weeds two or three 
summers, by one or two hoeings in a season. When the plants 
are, upon an average, an inch to an inch and an half in diameter, 
we proceed to lay them as follows : The plants are first divested of 
their principal side shoots. They are then all, except a strong one 
at an interval of a foot, (and this applies to the second and third, 
rather than to the first laying,) bent and laid horizontal in the line of 
the fence, and at the required height, say twelve inches from the 
ground, and if necessary tied down with osier willows. Two men 
then proceed to wattle the remaining plants. Standing at the end 
of the hedge, one bends down the plant, and without cutting, to a 
horizontal position, the other opening the intervening tops, so that 
the laid top alternates to the right and left. The next plant is laid 
in the same way, binding the first, except that where the first passes 
to the right this passes to the left of the standing plants. In this 
way they proceed till the whole is laid. In two years the hedge 
will have attained a sufficient growth, if well taken care of, to admit 
of being laid a second time, and in two years more a third time, 
when it should stand four and an half or five feet high, and after 
which it should be only clipped like an ordinary hedge. The elm 
grows well with the locust in the hedge, and is peculiarly well 
adapted for laying and wattling, the tops and brandies continue to 
grow in whatever direction they are laid. The seed of the elm 
may be collected in the last ten days of May, in this latitude, and if 
immediately sown, will produce plants from six to eighteen inches 
high the same season. The objection to the locust and elm is, that 
they are liable to become trees, instead of shrubs. The same objec¬ 
tion lays against the beach, and yet this is extensively used upon the 
European continent as a material for live fences. It is thick plant¬ 
ing, laying and clipping, that reduces forest trees to dwarfs. The 
locust should be laid in spring or autumn, when there are no leaves 
upon the plants. By preserving a horizontal direction in the laid 
wood, and elevating a little the tops, the whole, or the greater part, 
continues to grow, and the longer it grows the stronger it grows. 
3 /ssy Hedges are clipped either with the 
fr -- ■ ■ - ■ — shears or bill-hook. The latter is gene¬ 
rally preferred. It is represented at fig. 
3. It may weigh about six pounds; the 
cutting part is about twelve to fifteen in¬ 
ches, with a socket above in which to in¬ 
sert the handle. In using this implement, 
the hedger stands with his right hand to the hedge, and cuts up¬ 
wards with a back stroke with his right hand. The stroke must in 
all cases be made obliquely upwards, and not downwards ; for the 
effect of the latter method would be to shatter the lower part of the 
stem. The hedger passes on both sides, and gives to the hedge a 
uniform height, and symmetry of shape, with great despatch. The 
hedge-spade, (fig. 2,) has a blade five inches, and a handle three 
and an half feet long, and is employed in weeding and clearing the 
hedge. 
We have expressed an opinion unfavorable to the buckthorn 
(Rhamnus catharticus ) as a material for live fences, which we now 
cheerfully retract, having seen beautiful and efficient hedges com¬ 
posed of this plant, in the grounds of E. Henry Derby, Esq. of Sa¬ 
lem, Mass. The plants are not laid, but first headed down and af¬ 
terwards clipped. From its fine appearance we have been induced 
to procure plants to commence a hedge of it ourselves. 
MANURES. 
There is one fact in regard to the economy of manures, which we 
have before noticed, and to which would again call the attention of 
our readers, viz., that the portion of dung which escapes in the form 
of gas, while fermentation is going on, is the proper food of plants, 
while they are developing their stems and leaves—and that it is preju¬ 
dicial to plants when maturing their seeds —seeds being the object of 
culture. Hence we reasoned, that unfermented dung should not be 
applied to crops which matured their seeds at midsummer, when the 
heat is intense, and when the dung is consequently in its most vio¬ 
lent state of fermentation, but to the crops which mature their seeds 
or roots in autumn, after the fermentation has abated or subsided. 
To give an illustration familiar to every observing farmer : If unfer¬ 
mented manure is applied to wheat, rye, oats or barley, in any con¬ 
siderable quantity, there will be a great flush of straw, particularly 
where the dung may have been laid in piles, often covered with 
rust, and the grain will be small in quantity, and inferior in quality 
—while from a too luxuriant growth the straw is apt to lodge. The 
cause of this is, a too great abundance of gaseous food, “ which 
forces it rather to leaf than to corn,” and a prolonged growth of 
straw, at the season of maturing the seed, when the supply of food 
should be moderate. The same cause produces none of these evils 
upon autumn ripening crops. The gases arising from fermentation 
at midsummer, increase the volume and vigor of the stalk, and fit it 
to produce and sustain a heavier burthen; and the supply is dimi¬ 
nished, and probably changed in its quality, by fermentation be¬ 
coming exhausted, before the season of maturity. The corn and 
potato fields are therefore the best stercoraries for the deposite and 
prepartion of manures for the grain crop. These are the principles 
upon which we have based our recommendations and our practice, 
of applying manure in an unfermented state always to autumn-ri¬ 
pening and hoed crops. 
We have used unfermented manure with good advantage for ruta 
baga, in some seasons, and to the prejudice of the crop in other sea¬ 
sons. If there is heat and moisture to induce a prompt and rapid fer¬ 
mentation of the manure, its application is highly beneficial; but if the 
fermentation is retarded, or prevented, for the want of these agents, 
the manure is sometimes prejudicial to the product. We have also 
used unfermentcd manure for garden crops which mature in autumn, 
as the onion, beet, parsnip, cabbage, &c. with good success. 
Silk Culture. —Those who intend to commence this business the 
ensuing season, should now provide themselves with mulberry seed. 
An ounce of seed will produce two to three thousand plants. Di¬ 
rections for sowing it, and for managing the plants in nursery, will 
be found at page 50 of this volume. Those who have the trees, 
should provide themselves with the eggs of the worm. Both the 
mulberry seed and the eggs of the worm, may be had at the seed 
stores. We shall not forget our promise to give timely directions 
for the subsequent management. 
ANSWERS TO QUERIES.” 
Marl. —A specimen sent to us from Orange, by Mr. Van Duzer, 
has been analyzed, agreeable to request; the result of which is, that 
it contains too much clay, and too little carbonate of lime, to make 
it a profitable application on any but very sandy soils—where the 
argillaceous will benefit as well as the calcareous matter which it 
contains. 
Potash as a manure. —Mr. R. R. Schenck inquires, what quantity 
of water must be applied to a given quantity of potash, as a top¬ 
dressing to grass lands'? We have no experience, nor any data, 
that will enable us to answer the question ; indeed, we doubt the 
economy of the application, while our farms abound with animal and 
vegetable matters which may be usefully employed as manure, and 
which are too often lost for want of care and attention. In using 
potash, however, we would recommend that trials be made of the 
solution of different degrees of strength, from that of a pound of al¬ 
kali to two gallons to a pound to ten gallons of water. 
Fall Ploughing. —A correspondent in Maryland asks for our opi¬ 
nion on the propriety of fall ploughing for corn, without indicating 
his soil or its condition. The question does not admit of a specific 
