SUELTER. 



But we shall he told that it is inipossihle that every otie's c^roinuls can be sheltered 

 — impossible that every man can select a situation jirotected from the west and north 

 by woods or hills. Wo o-rant this. We know it is not in the power of many of 

 those even who jjurchase new places to plant themselves directly behind some natural 

 protection; the country has been pretty well "cleared" of timber, and we must take 

 it iust as it is. What we advise, however, is this : that people who are about to pur- 

 chase land for the purpose of planting extensive orchards, nurseries, or market gardens, 

 should, even at great sacrifices, select a sheltered situation. Ten or fifteen dollars an 

 acre in the first cost of land would be an important consideration in purchasing for 

 farming purposes, but for orcharding, nursery, or market gardening, where the crops 

 are of great value and easily damaged, it is as nothing compared to the advantages 

 of a favorable situation. Experienced cultivators understand this very well ; but 

 beginners are apt to overlook it. 



"When an exposed situation is unavoidable, then the very first step should be to 

 provide shelter in the speediest possible manner. For this purpose, belts of rapid 

 growing trees — say double rows — should be planted so as to intersect the ground at 

 intervals, and ward off the prevailing and most injurious winds of the particular 

 localit3\ In Western New York the most prevalent and destructive winds are those 

 from the west and north-west, and therefore our protecting belts of trees must run 

 north and south — or perhaps better, a little north-west and south-east. The degrees 

 of exposure and the character of the crops to be grown must regulate the distance 

 between the rows or belts of shelter trees. For the purpose of shelter we know of no 

 tree more suitable than the European Larch. In good dry land it makes a growth 

 of three or four feet in a season ; it retains its branches well at the bottom, assuming 

 a pyramidal form ; the tops do not spread far or shade the ground ; the roots occupy 

 a very small space, and never throw up suckers — besides it is a very beautiful tree, 

 and can be easily raised from seed or purchased at a low price in the nurseries. 

 Single rows of this might be managed so as not to occupy more space than a common 

 hedge, and they would afford protection to considerable extent of level ground. The 

 Norway Spruce is another excellent tree for this purpose, and it has the advantage of 

 being evergreen ; but it requires at least double the time to attain a height that would 

 afford much protection except to small plants. The American Arbor Vitoe and Hem- 

 lock Spruce may be very properly used for this purpose, too ; but neither of them are 

 of such rapid growth as the first two named. The Lombardy Poplar, Balsam Pop- 

 lar, Snowy Abele, and Silver Maple, are trees of which a very effective belt or forest 

 may be made in six or eight years. Their growth is almost incredibly rapid, and this 

 is the very purpose for which they are valuable. They cannot with propriety be 

 planted through the interior of plantations, as we advise to plant the Larch, S})ruce, 

 Hemlock, and Arbor VittB, but they can be placed around the exposed borders and 

 outlines, and do essential service. 



In the culture of dwarf trees, flowers, vegetables, and all crops of low growth, com- 

 mon hedge rows of Buckthorn, Privet, Osage Orange, or, in fact, any rapid gro 



will be of great service. It would not be necessary to shear them in the usua 



