STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 13 



observes, orchards that are well sheltered have been injured as much as 

 those on the open plain. There are certain facts that appear in connec- 

 tion with this.' Many times we plant orchards on low ground, and 

 surround them by belts of timber. These tracts are quite wet, and the 

 very cold weather may injure these trees ten times as bad as it does those 

 that are on a high, dry, piece of ground. Take into account the 

 moisture in the soil, and these facts can be accounted forj so that in the 

 main I do not think it is intended, in any of these reports, that timber 

 belts are not desirable. I think we shall see that it is a generally received 

 opinion that these protections are necessary, and are really desirable in 

 the protection of our agricultural interests, especially for the retaining of 

 moisture in the ground, and to prevent droughts. 



Mr. Snedecker — I don't think these reports can be relied on at all 

 times. There has been, for the last few years, a great drought through- 

 out the whole country, and the last winter has been more severe than 

 usual. Certain localities have been better circumstanced than others in 

 regard to shelter. I have seen, in the timber lands, where it was gen- 

 erally supposed the trees were doing the best — where they were sheltered, 

 and to all appearances were doing the best, these trees suffered the most — 

 cherries, apples and pears. That seems to be a contradiction to what we 

 generally supposed. We generally supposed that shelter has been a benefit. 

 On the wide, expansive prairie — deep black soil — no trees around that 

 could be of any benefit — I saw an orchard, this year, with the best crop, 

 the handsomest apples that I have seen this year. I do not know how to 

 account for it, unless it is from the moisture that has been in the soil, 

 furnishing the necessary food for the trees. 



Mr. Humphrey — Was the orchard cultivated ? 

 Mr. Snedecker — No, sir. 

 Mr. Humphrey — What kind of grass was it? 



Mr. Snedecker — It is mixed up with oats and blue grass — not 

 much grass. It is a pretty thick orchard, and the grass does not grow 

 much. 



Mr. Humphrey — Was it a young orchard ? 



Mr. Snedecker — No ; an orchard about twelve years old. Well, 

 sir, I know another orchard of about twenty acres, three miles from a 

 river, planted on cleared timber land, which has no protection at all, 

 and yet has produced, this year, a good half crop ; the apples sold for a 

 higher price in the market than others, and the owner told me there was 

 no piece of land that he had that had done so well this year. He sold 

 apples for market to the amount of $600 cash, and besides, had the wind- 



