622 EXPERIMENT STATION KECORD. 



SOILS. 



Destructive effect of winds on sandy soils and light sandy 

 loams, with methods of protection, F. H. King {Wisconsin Sta. 

 Bui. 42, pp. 29, Jigs. 16). 



Synopsis. — There are extensive areas of light sandy or sandy loam soil in Wiscon- 

 sin well adapted to certain crops especially potatoes, on -which crops are sub- 

 ject to serious injury by parching winds and drifting soil. From the results of 

 field observations and of readings of evaporalors and wet and dry bulb ther- 

 mometers made to determine the influence of shelter in reducing this injury, it 

 was found that to the leeward of woods, hedges, clover fields, etc., a beneficial 

 influence was exerted to a distance of at least 300 ft. The means recommended 

 for reducing the injury are frequent rotation in long, narrow strips of land, run- 

 ning as a rule at right angles to the direction of iirevailing winds; use of an 

 abundance of organic manures; leaving the ground rough after seeding; clear- 

 ing woodlands in belts at right angles to prevailing winds, and planting wind- 

 breaks. 



"There is a rudely crescent shaped tract of land lying a little to the 

 south of the center of this State and extending from Weyauwega, 

 Berlin, and Portage on the east to Barron, Menomouie, and Pei^in on 

 the west, which is covered, over most of its area, outside of the 

 swampy and marshy districts, with a light sandy soil or sandy loam." 

 This tract is about 40 miles wide and fully 180 long. There are 3 iso- 

 lated areas of a similar character and of considerable extent in the 

 northern part of the State, besides smaller areas scattered throughout 

 the State. It has been shown that these soils are well adapted to 

 certain kinds of crops, especially potatoes, when properly managed, 

 but that crops on them are frequently seriously injured or entirely 

 destroyed by the parching winds or the drifting soil. 



The results of observations during 4 days, commencing May 29, on 

 the field conditions at different points in the first mentioned area, just 

 after a destructive windstorm, are reported in detail. It was observed 

 "that wherever a field lay to the leeward of any sort of shelter the bad 

 effects of the wind were either not apparent or else were very much 

 reduced." This influence was exerted to a considerable extent by fences, 

 hedges, clover fields, etc., but was especially marked to the leeward of 

 woodlands. Readings of evaporators and wet and dry bulb thermom- 

 eters placed at different distances to the leeward of woods, hedges, and 

 clover fields show that these exerted an influence on evaporation and 

 humidity of the air to a distance of at least 300 ft. These observa- 

 tions "make it very certain that such destructive effects as have this 

 year been experienced in Waushara and Portage counties can be pre- 

 vented in the future in a very large measure and this, too, by simple 

 and comparatively inexpensive measures." 



The following means for accomplishing this purpose are recom- 

 mended and discussed in detail: (1) Frequent rotation in long, narrow 

 strips of lauds running as a rule north and south, since the most 

 destructive winds seem to come from the west^ (2) increasing the 



