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market-farming - Re: Farm Fence Posts

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  • From: "Jeffery Blake" <echoecho AT bedford.heartland.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Farm Fence Posts
  • Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 11:05:08 -0600


Hedge is really from the Osage Orange tree. They were used extensively in
the late 1800s as a living fence. It will turn a buffalo, I may have some
information on how to establish such a hedge row somewhere. Such a hedge row
would probably take at least fifteen+ years to establish though. I think the
tree original came out of Texas. Usually grows about 30 feet tall, small
thorns and has a green hedge ball the size of a softball in the
fall--supposed to repel spiders in the home. I think you can probably get
seedlings in bulk. I was thinking the NRCS sells them. There are a great
many existing hedge rows here in Southwest Iowa and surrounding areas.
Farmers cut posts from these hedge rows and if properly managed can have a
lifetimes worth of posts from these trees. I'm pretty sure that if it isn't
the hardest, most rot resistant wood in America that its pretty close. I
have posts here, getting kind of shaky, that were set by great-grandfather
at the turn of the century. They are almost the only post-besides
steel-used around here. Let me know what other details you would like.
As an aside, I think you can build a simple wood form, and pour concrete
posts as well--use a lot of rocks. I've seen out in Kansas where there are
large regions where they use native stone posts, I think they are
limestone, but isn't sure. They are all rough cut and been there for a very
long time.





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