— no 



Our correspondents have advised the following trees for shelter 

 belts : 



GENERAL SUMMARY. 



1. A windbreak may exert great influence upon a fruit planta- 

 tion. 



2. The l^enefits derived from windbreaks are the following : pro- 

 tection from cold ; lessening of evaporation from .soil and plants ; 

 le.s.sening of windfalls ; lessening of liability to mechanical injury 

 of trees ; retention of snow and leaves ; facilitating of labor ; pro- 

 tection of blossoms from severe winds ; enabling trees to grow more 

 erect ; lessening of injury from the drying up of small fruits ; reten- 

 tion of sand in certain localities ; hastening of maturity of fruits in 

 some cases ; encouragement of birds ; ornamentation. 



3. The injuries sustained from windbreaks are as follows: Pre- 

 venting the free circulation of warm winds and consequent expo- 

 sure to cold'"; injuries from in.sects and' fungous di.seases ; injuries 

 from the encroachment of the windbreak itself; increased liability 

 to late spring frosts in rare cases. 



a. The injury from cold, still air is usuall}^ confined to those lo- 

 calities which are directl}' influenced by large bodies of water, and 

 which are protected by forest belts. It can be avoided by plant- 

 ing thin belts. 



b. The injuiy from insects can be averted by sprajdng with ar- 

 senical poisons. 



c. The injury from the encroachment of the windbreak may be 

 averted, in part at least, bj^ good cultivation and by planting the 

 fruit simultaneously with tlie belt. 



4. Windbreaks are advantageous wherever fruit plantations are 

 exposed to strong winds. 



5. In interior places, dense or broad belts, of two or more rows 

 of trees, are desirable, while within the influence of large bodies 

 of water thin or narrow belts, comprising but a row or two, are 

 usually preferable. 



6. The best trees for windbreaks in the northeastern states are 

 Norway spruce, and Austrian and Scotch pines, among the ev^er- 

 greens. Among deciduous trees, most of the rapidly growing 

 native species are useful. A mixed plantation, with the hardiest 

 and most vigorous deciduous trees on the windward, is probably 

 the ideal artificial shelter belt. E- H. BAIEEY. 



