94 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



and peach trees, and cherry trees, and plum trees, and pear trees, would stand 

 up straight, and have shining bark, and bear great loads of luscious fruit, 

 while his neighbor, to get from his house to his barn, would have to "stub and 

 "brace," and his trees, "poor pitiable things," swaying and swinging and half 

 bent over, groan to be delivered from such a crushing burden. Suppose again, 

 that around every ten-acre field or every forty rods square, just such a belt 

 were left on all the cleared land of the Grand Traverse region. There then 

 ^vould be nine acres of cleared land where there is now ten. Such belts would 

 occupy just one-tenth of the land. I may be mistaken ; and I certainly am if 

 the yield of nearly all ordinary farm crops would not be largely increased. 

 And again, suppose that only an opening thirty feet wide had been made 

 through the center of all our roadways, leaving a border on either side eighteen 

 feet wide of all the under-growth and thrifty young trees. Very soon the tops 

 of these would meet over the road, forming a perfect shade in summer, while 

 the sides would thicken up sufficiently to break the winds in winter, and pre- 

 vent the snow from drifting. Who has not heard or read of the "Lindens" of 

 Berlin, and the great shaded avenues in the suburbs of Paris? Here, through 

 all our highways we could have just as magnificent drives, not by planting out 

 at expense and waiting a long time, but by letting alone what nature has 

 already placed and grown just where needed. 



What I have said so far is in the interest of all agricultural industries. But 

 it has a special application to fruit growing. Fruit growers everywhere know 

 how blossom buds are killed by windstorms, when they would pass unharmed 

 through the same degree of cold unaccompanied by wind. I believe that still 

 cold weather has never been known to injure fruit trees, not even peach trees. 

 The cold wind storms have done the destructive work, both to the trees and 

 buds. Stop the winds then, and both are secured, or the per cent of danger 

 lessened. But again, suppose you have grown a beautiful crop of apples on an 

 exposed orchard. Call last fall to mind; from all orchards so situated nine- 

 tenths of the winter fruit was shaken before gathering, before time to gather. 

 Such become cider apples, apples to "dry," or feed to stock, or to be left on the 

 ground. They are destroyed for keeping. So it is ruin anyway. If the ruin 

 of cold windstorms is escaped, the ruin of having the crop shaken from the 

 trees is almost inevitable. The only safety is protection. It has been said that 

 orchards are self-protecting. The wind evidently strides over the top of forests, 

 the surface of which is thick and even. But our orchards stand in open rows, 

 giving the wind an excellent chance to drive among and get hold of the trees. 

 It would seem as though self-protection here must be very slight. 



Here on our cleared farms the destruction is complete. The windbreaks have 

 got to be grown. What is most available for immediate use? Hard maple 

 set in double rows eight feet apart, and eight feet apart in the row, well cared 

 for, would probably answer an excellent purpose. White pines would be better, 

 but most expensive. Lombardy poplar would probably be less expensive and 

 make a windbreak quicker than anything else. They are easily propagated, 

 ^row rapidly and very tall. 



Mr. Chairman, I deem this subject of the most vital interest. It seems to 

 me that orchards must prove failures if we leave them unprotected. But 

 I have discussed many points with brief sentences and paragraphs, each of 

 which might well do for a lecture. 



I can therefore only hope that such may be suggestive and lead to careful 

 .investigation. Let me not be understood that just an acre for a building spot, 



