28 



trees which may happen to stand in the fieUl. In permanent pastures and even 

 in fields occasionally used for pasturage small clumps of trees could be planted in 

 corners on waste portions of the field if any existed. It would l)e necessary to 

 fence in such planting and give it protection till the trees reached a size of three 

 or four inches in diameter. 



Deciduous trees as Box Elder, White Elm, or Soft Maples, would be best 

 suited for such work. Box Elder and White Elm grow fast, develop plenty of 

 shade, and stand the abuse to which they must be subjected by the animals. 



PROTECTION Belts. 



Belts or rows of trees are frequently planted for protection to orchards, fields 

 or buildings. There is no doubt about the advantage of such planting. Stock in 

 protected barns will need less feed. Protected houses will need less fuel. Orchard 



Pig. 27. — Stock protection clump of White Elm and Box Elder in the background. 



or field crops benefit by having prottection. The drying winds of summer do less 

 harm where tree protection exists. Orchards heavy w^th fruit are often protected 

 so that loss from wind-falls and broken branches is lessened. Protected fields of 

 clover, fall wheat, etc., hold the snow longer in the spring, which gives protection 

 from frosts and loss of moisture by evaporation. 



Throughout the Province of Ontario the prevailing winds are westerly, which 

 should be taken into considera;tion in planting shelter belts. That is, to protect 

 buildings or fields it is wise to plant on west, southwest and northwest sides. 



The most satisfactory protection is to be had by planting evergreens, as Nor- 

 way Spruce or native White Spruce. These evergreens give protection both sum- 

 mer and winter by forming a dense growth down to the ground. Arborvitse, Hem- 

 lock and White Pine are sometimes used in such planting, but the spruces are the 

 best. 



Where one row of Spruce is to be planted, the trees should be spaced from six 

 to ten feet apart. When two rows is desired the trees should be eight to ten feet 

 apart in the row and the rows eight feet apart. The trees should be planted alter- 

 nately as in Fig. 15. Where trees are to be planted as a protection to buildings, 

 it may be advisable to plant a mixture of evergreens in clumps rather than a 

 straight row of Spruce. This would require more space, but would have a better 



