former case it will shed nearly all the water, and the
latter method suffers the rain to run down through the whole.

Unless the weather be very wet, clover will cure in this way, without
opening until time to haul it in, and will retain its beautiful green
color, almost equal to that of England and Germany, cured in the shade,
which, at two or three years old, appears almost as bright as though not
cured at all. If the weather be quite wet, cut clover when free from dew
or rain, wilt it at once, and draw it in, put as much as possible in
thin layers on scaffolds, and under cover, to cure in the shade. Put the
remainder in alternate layers with equal quantities of dry straw, with
one peck of salt to a ton. A ton may bear half a bushel of salt, less is
better, and more is injurious to stock, by compelling them to eat too
much salt. The most beautiful and palatable clover hay is that cured in
the shade, on scaffolds and afterward mowed away.

Timothy should never be cut, until the seed is far enough advanced to
grow. Careful experiments have shown that cut in the blossom, the hay
will contain only about one half as much nutriment, as when cut in the
full-grown seed, but before it commences shelling. Cure as clover, but
in twice as large cocks, and never salt, unless compelled to draw in
when damp or too green.

HEDGE.

The question of fencing in this country, so much of which is prairie,
and in other parts of which there is such a wanton waste of timber,
gives great importance to successful hedging. The same plants are not
equally good for hedge in all parts of the country. There are but few
plants suitable for hedges in our climate.

_The Osage Orange_--is the best, in all latitudes where it will
flourish. It has no diseases or enemies by which it will be destroyed,
except too cold winters. Of Southern origin, yet it flourishes in many
places at the North. In cold localities, where there is but little snow,
it suffers much until three or four years old. It is being extensively
introduced into central and northern Illinois, where unusually cold
winters destroy vast quantities of young plants, and kill the tops of
much old hedge. It is still insisted that it will succeed; but we
consider it too uncertain, and consequently too expensive, for general
fencing in such climates. The roots and lower parts of the plants may be
preserved, however, by setting them out for a hedge on level ground,
instead of ridges as usual,