Agricultural and Pastoral. HEDGES AND HEDGING.

Otago Witness, Issue 559, 16 August 1862, Page 6

Agricultural and Pastoral. HEDGES AND HEDGING.

[From the Mark Lane li.> press. ~\ I Much as has hceivsaid about hejgps, the subject is nevertheless far from exhausted. Almo.-t every protinco has its own vei-Tiou of the matter, and wlieu we appe-il to the written testimony of agricultural authorities, the past presents a vovy interesting coincidence with the present. " C)ld Tom," '• the "IXik-e's lu:dgcr" died at the advanced n%e of upwards of ninety. lie was a .shrewd sensible man, and able to attend to the bnlgcs up to the vcrv last ; and in a short conversation we had with him, relative to the influence of drainage and oilier modern improvements on the fences, not long before his decease, he replied veiy significantly,' " A he/lje i-i <i Imhjc s'dl." Such was the sense, and, as nearly as we can remember, his answer verbatim. As much as to s;\v. Ciuui^es have t ikon taken place in the routine of hclguwoik, and in the cultivation o [ the h>nris adjoining, in my lont^ experience ; 1 but the physiology of the plant that f^rms the I hu ge remains ihc same; and to the natural laws to which it is thus subject, the hedger must attend.

The -subject is well worthy of discussion in the light in which it was practically viewed by Old Toui. The soil of the Park llou^c Farm iiud plantations was pruu-ipally composed, of dviftel materials, of a diversified kind ; and with the influence of this diversity of soil upon the hedges, the old he.lger was practically familiar. Of vpgctVt'le physiology lie know übsoin'ely nothing, -sfipntiiii-ally speaking •, but in training you'ig hsd'^ea he icnev a -sickly plant f'i\ui one which was thming, and sol-lorn failed in dutucting the cause thai g.ivo iuc to t\w diiljronee. To makea youii" iif.U',o giow uniformly and lu-.vlihil;. ■'. li'jd^'jr requites to be well vcvse l iiractuvl". . iiulouly with the pUnts, but t!ic soil ■ami cii.naUi tjl the district. Laying off the mroun.l, :i-vl ni.\iuti.iniiig :i b^autuul bat supcr-■-.t'irJ.ly sh-nvy appearam-e is of little avail. Whut caro p!.\".i«s for outsulc appearances? If all is riglit below the surface, lhal which is above ground will for the moot part t:'ke care of its-elf Below thure are almost always innumerable enenii's hirkin^, both orgvnic and inorganic; ai\<\ if theto -arc allowed to remain at enmity with . ttie roots, uniformity of growth is hardly possible j to be alta'iiied ; and even when Ihc hed^c has (inali}' boon, got to oKaibit -\ fa-'r ostjrlar appearance, it i« impossible to keej> it for nuy length of titnti in a healthy state, so svs to form a safe aud su'osttintial enclosure for cattle ; and whenever the lualge fail* to keep in stock, it need not be told the reader t lat it is worse than no feace at all. The Pa-s' thing to bo at ten led to, in the formation of Ue.l^v's, is ohv'.ou-slv the climate of the

pLee mid tiie exposure of the ground to be eti-

el >scd, sis upon lhc<« dep'in-1 the kind of \iltint of wiiith tin 1 hedge should be f.rmed. O\er t!»o grea r er extent of our southern provinces quic'v-K't ir thorn iii-'l^'s will h" [ban I a lasted for fie cli-

.mte in a'nioii any iu.^r.tl exposure, and ai'i: sencially (tc'.no.vlc h,.'d the bcifc'kiirl of livofnn 'C>, wlh"e the soil is sv ' liilefi-rUiom ; but iuc'^wi d sijiatio'}'. U'ld in ii 1 \rut<i of the nort'i, guic 1^ ■: 'v !»- >'• i <noi ! iu jj'olit s ilv Uiown, owii.g to tli>unfw ; cUincfi'v o',' thi- »• imvt*'. co \ lid. 'i•..•■•'i "lvr. i . i'h t! ••„ .-. ->f'tln; soil. 'L h' vc i •• lnr !•' :w v!Mr. r !:i any of -he three

livi->ioii> m' the ki >'l,>;ii, l>'>Wi*vor, w'.ie'f lie I'iCS rtf s'),iif ki. (1 or o"'i ;• c'U'.not b'jgnwn. Aln«» t over/ tree .inn s'irub. t') 1 ' cfini^lo, can b'j lornicd into a live fenco, so that the practi^ul rule u> to SvlfcltW. p! u^ts best adai/tod for the i-linvate

iMd soil, ili.it are found thriving niospjroush' in t»t> nistri". In nv.iiy cases fore it, a tivc^ "and -'miS mar, no doubt, be suucessfu'iv iiitriil'iced. The inireiriitv of the hediror may thus ba exercised to a i almost indefinite exrent. We have seen dm. beech, bi'ch, fir, fui/e. and en low marslry gr.mnds, alder and widow, forming fine iMiclosures where the thorn would not have made a fence. Climat", it will thus be seen, is not, after all, so rfrc.it a b irrier to (lie fiueee.stful culthation of liodgps as at first sight might perhaps he imagined by some w'io rjsHci m unfavorable districts. A helpo, when properly trained, and formed into an efficient fence, is highly ornamental, while ii possesses 1 oth durability and cheapness that will heir comparison with almost si-iy other kind of fence. I/mdowners are generally partially in i.ivor of tb's inscription of enclosures, and it lists )i'ten occu "red to us that they mte'it exercise a watdeil -nore successful d ken 'lunation in the election of hrrtFO-phius than they have vpt 'lone. • I w>rchv bpiiiHfVing their estates, and enhancing tho value < f their land. Tn sjpa'T 'ih- connect 1 ? 1 with fie climate is the quality of the in reference* tn the of lii'l.TC-plariK Naturally sonic soils refuse to grow .invt'iincr 'nit heath, and moorish plants ot this kind. Th -y are ncner.iHv only,usrdris sheepwalks, and yirW .-io little forage as not to be con•idorcl cn;\Vble of covering' the expense of fencing. Bit tVr> is by far too-much shortsighted ccovviiv in e:;leu! itions of this kind amongst Stephen's, fo." ~ue have succeeded in growing fine 'ie lores of furze on every poor hen'h land, that 'ormed in t only n fewe to sheep, but fine shelter ; while the cut'in?s above their roac'i made valuible provender for them, daring winter, so much 1). in r cut dnilv in stormy weather. Even ■lmong't, th n wild bleak lulls of the Xortli, up to the highf .t a'fitulo at which heath itself will | u'ow, the ingenuity find industry of the flnrk•nastor, in joint co-operation with iii° landlord, •nay do much to the formation of useful f->n<'c* .md slHtcr ; enhancing nl Hie 'am" time the uliieof t'.'e pi stum gc nn 1 Ihc b' au^ful pi-'hi-rn^qij' iipT'irm'oof o'ir TTi<Wi'nn 1 :'h< ep-walk • '■Yen iii -h > ; io re eop^m-l cli'iiato of the South V!', r es t!i;r ylo'd both fuod and s'lolrcr on poor lowis, w! V they at thf s-inic time form nn of- | 'c A nf a*i ' f'°sir.ihl" cheap fence, is wort'iv of tho I .'onside-a 1 ' in of flockmasters and ]'ind'nvn"r.>. On our English downs no do-ibt linny other hctl<re]ilft'it«. may bo cro'vn besides furze. Tins. | the ruiff-f ".ice aroun.l p mr exposed down pnstnro I nnv fk> mdc of quickset, or ixny ntfirr plant tlint 1 is better e<\ ipte 3 for tho parf fculnr kind <>l' soil ; >vhile a ureaf- munv in^rvoning furzohp.lges may lie tbrnif-rl, affording- both foo I and sl'eltor. and ■ H-ci^i'Mnliv s'lliilivision fences. The incrcn^cl shelter tins aftorfled to slicop would also aflonl "liclter to rho p'tsture hofween the hedgos. The L-hclter-hedges of fur/n that we r,rrw were not more Mian from thirty to fifty varts a<-UMder, thp distance very often be'ng resnilated by the nature of the &oi), which was fu'l of stonos, &c. The iipi bage on the intervening spices would thus become eradunllv improved, and, in many fits"? tlic q-in'ity of the soil would thus justify the outlay of csnitiil in lln use of artificial un/ins su"h as to-i-d-e^sincr, or even dmrr'ng and trenehm,'. Thorn inner of forming those .rrz> he.l'TPwi» sliull <liiiMi,s iiffciward-i, when we eonif tc 'incti'"!! •let'ti l ". They are havdv. nffovl oxcel•'jni sh;-]! 1 -, ail on poor. p\?io i -cl p"O<inl< the benefit i-hcp ,-i'" 1 '•asturo f,'Mi) is p'luost iivoiihl(\ Wiat inn ' ivcornmcn-'s rium h 'th.»ii i'hi\ipnnss, nni 1 tli r - t'-io'l :i'vl <-b ''tc* t!v < a *^ j> • 7 ■■ > siiih ii 'jipt'il fbi'fh'M'r grow'!i. ihn 1 ' >.nUtU t la ■ •> riiKuit 'it oi np Tt m,iv n.ii !i ■ Oiii .iT ,)!a.'-j l.oiu to r<> ii" 1 t'u '•(■a lei* tha 1 fin ' or whin 'lp'lg's, us w . r >p<v,p, have lo'ig bpen a'lt'ifatcd, nu'l, in ma y on^es. Miocessfully tncl. Th-i mbitct: will In- i'oiuvl ably and pr.iciicilly discussed in '" Yomi"'s Annals of AgncnUuro," " Dr. An^orsun's RciTottums," &c. The grout value of fin z; as a hoipc-plant, in ceitam r-ituationp. a id oti soils adapted f-ir its succT-s.-ful growth, is universally acknowledged ; while the objection that havV been advanced to the durability of the fi-nco it makes do not appear well founded. " Fences of this kind (it is said for example) either die out from drought in summer, frost in winter, or get open at the bottom, and cease to be of iv>y value as a fence." We have examined numerous examples of all these, and found that they generally urose from mismanagement. Like all other plants, furze requires its own peculiar attention. But of tin's more hereafter in its own proper place. Soils are eapab'c of improvement, so that to I attempt laying down anything like established I data as to what kind of hedge is best adapted for j this or that kind of soil, would by ni.inybs obI jcctc.l to as dogmatical empiricism*. The general testimony of experience, as has already been ititad, is in favor of quickset hedges, so tint where the climate is favorable, the practical question resolves itself into the improvement of the soil for live fences of this kind, if it is not so naturally, as i« very seldom thy case. And as the climate of a very large area of the kingdom is adapted fur the growth of thorn, the preparation of the laud for this plant becomes the' general question. Some soils, provided they are free from weeds, require veiy little artificial preparation for the growth of them. But although, this commonly received opinion is doubtless true,' generally speaking, yet when we come to its reduction to prac-

tiee, there are many more exceptions to it, as a rule, than is admitted in the practice it teaches. In oth^r v.-ords, a great many soils arc considered naturally adapted for the growth of thorn hedges, f\l arc' the contrav,-. They am capableof being inipi^vwl, so as to become excellent soils ; but until lvjs preparatory step is taken, plants may thrive ih pertain places, but in others they are subject to ikease. l?or a lew yards, or it may be rods or chains, the. young hedge rises uniformly, forming a fine healthy fence ; but here and there all the art of the hedg&v cannot succeed in forming them into a proper fonco. Soim plants, for example, dio out before the hedge hns attained its intended height : others are sickly, sometimes wholly so, while in other cases, one side of the plant may appear to do we l !, hut the other sends out sho >t<!, so that all the resources of training are pxhau3tcil before tho work is complete. The hedaer in such cases knows that there is something radically wrong- v ith the subsoil; but that cannot be mended now, and so he must do bis best to make a fence, of what can never be a healthy and enduring one ; for when cattle once begin to sco daylight through a them hedge, they soon find ways and means of making a gap. In the preparation of the land for quickset hedies, sufficient attention is very seldom paid to the subsoil. A great deal of fuss is made about the eradication of weeds, liming and manuring the staple or surface sail, as if purposely to compel Nature by physical fovpe to grow a hedge in the shortest possible time. We have seen many fine hedges forced up in this manner, so far as first appearances go ; hut the lime and the manure do not last forever, while, w!ien the subsoil is bad, the roots of the quicks soon descend into it, as weeds wovk their way from either side until Cher reTiiin their former occupation in stronger force than ever ; consequently the plants, from bein.>' npMly forced forward, are less able to withstand the effects to which they thus soon become subject, and therefore die a premature death fi'om a combination of destructive causes, above around as well as bjlow its suriace. No doubt the roots, in the first place, feel the effects of the noxious principles of the subsoil; but when these aro imbibe 1, and rise to the leaves, it is then that the real work of havoc upon the constitution of the plants begins. Under such circumstances it were difficult to say whether the forcing by means of lime and manure did most good or harm — good in the outset, but harm in the end ; and whether the latter ciitl not counterbalance the former. The preparation of the subsoil is thus of far greater importance than that of the staple, as upon its successful performance the durability of the hedge depends. Unless this is attended to, the application of manure, organic or mineral, is worse than wasting time and capital, as the loss includes a great deal more than both represent, for it is very vexing to see what was imagined, from outward appearances, to be a fine fence, gradually- give way, aud very soon nrove itself a more ruinous servant than a much less promising one, something considerably worse than no f.Mice at all. The noxious principles in the subsoil, that are hiumoiis lo veceia'de life, iuvolv of course, a C'lcmicd-pln'-ii'k-uii'al question — one too that is no! vevy e.i*v oi solution, in a practical sense, ovintr to th'j limited knowledge we as yet possess of tlio chemistry of the food of the thorn, -and of Mi'is ■ olein-ntary substances that are directly or ■ndiVectiy abnormal to its constitution. At the .a-nu time the chemical analysis of all doubtful >u'«ioils h manifestly a fundamental step in the work of improvement, and the progress made in this branch of chrmistry is amply sufficient to justify every landowner in profiting by the information which it would unquestionably afford. Indeed, no landowner should commence the work of yrowi-ig hedges without first having taken the netvsary steps to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the chemistry of its subsoil, for he will readily perceive that in doing so he becomes practically versant with the analysis of the subsoil of the fields he is enclosing, and ultimately with UvKe of his whole e.-ta*e. The advantage which landowners would derive from such a knowledge as this lcquircs no comment, for they would then learn not only how to prepare land for hedges, but also for arable husbandry and the growth of timber, as such would form" a key to the solutioa of the physiological questions severally involved.