JUNE MEETING, 1S77. 95 



trees planted in the niiiiinor indicated by our President, that made a fine 

 appearance and served an a(liniia!)Ie jjurpose. 



Mr. Winchester. — A long time ac^o we saw the necessity of em ployiiiGf screens 

 and be.Gjan planting the red cedar largely, wliich seems admirably suited to our 

 soil and location. It grows rapidly, and by use of shears can be put into any 

 desirable form. The only serious objection we make to it is that the foliage 

 loses its rich green color in winter and assumes a brownish hue which is not so 

 pleasing to the eye. 



We look with great favor upon any form of hedges and screens, and know 

 from experience that we do get a rpiick return from even evergreen screens. I 

 have seen the first year after setting a small evergreen hedge tlie snow held for 

 six rods to the leeward, and thus making a first-class protection for small 

 plants that would otherwise have suffered greatly from tlic blowing away of 

 this natural clement of protection. 



Mr. Tliompson. — For years I have been interested in this matter of protec- 

 tion, but my observations have been confined largely to the interior of the State, 

 and I believe I can see quite a change in the opinions of people in the matter 

 of woodland or evergreen protection. The best observers have from bitter ex- 

 perience discarded the idea of the desirability of having other protection than 

 altitude for their tenderer fruits, and even for apples. I am convinced that tho 

 surest thing in the way of protection is to get them up as higli as possible and 

 give the benefit of air in motion. I could enumerate jnany instances where 

 to all appearances orchards were snuggled warmly away from severe winds, that 

 have suffered the worst from our severe winters. My own conviction is that we 

 want as little screen as possible in the way of trees, if we can only get high 

 enough up in the air. 



Mr. Engle. — I agree most fully with Mr. Thompson in the matter of alti- 

 tude: but where at one time I considered altitude everytiiing now 1 wish some- 

 thing more. Experience has sliown nie that the roots of our trees require 

 careful protection. The snow needs to be retained in as mucli quantity as 

 possible, and sweeping winds prevent this. Acting up to my convictions I have 

 set over a mile of evergreen screen on the west side of my orchard and through 

 it at intervals of twenty rods, and believe this tlie best thing I can do after I 

 had secured what altitude I could get. The plants in these screens are eight 

 feet apart. 



Mr. Stearns. — Altitude and timber protection should certainly go together, 

 A little of my experience may be admissible. Three years ago we planted 

 largely of pear grafts ; on a portion of the field there was toward the west a 

 barrier of young oaks that held the snow over the grafts, while on the other 

 portion the wind had a sweep. In the former instance the young trees came 

 out all right, while with the free sweep of tiie wind the grafts wei'C killed root 

 and branch. Again, my pear orchard is protected on the west by my ajiple 

 orchard, while a neighbor's orchard, set at same time, with no such protection, 

 has not done nearly so well. 



Mr. Adams. — One of tlie important points in protection by evergreens and 

 timber is that the air shall have an outlet. It is by no means good sense to 

 cut a hole out of a forest and set an orchard in it. An instance illustrating 

 this occurred in an orchard in Calhoun county two years ago, when an orchard 

 on liigh ground but surrounded l)y woods, was injured beyond recuperation by 

 the winter. A hole in the woods will hold cold air like a valley, and there must 

 be a free outlet to be at all safe. 



