MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 163 
winter months the prevailing winds are from the northwest, and 
when the winds are from the lake to the land, the mercury ranges 
lower than at stations further inland, and the maximum extremes 
of cold and heat to which orchards in the lake shore counties are 
subjected, are greater than in orchards in the interior counties, 
therefore, it may be concluded that as the winter climatic condi- 
tions are so affected by the air currents or proximity to the lake, 
are more unfavorable to the longevity of fruit trees, in the lake coun- 
ties, than in the interior counties. Neither can the supposed or 
real differences be attributed to ditferences in soil, from the fact that 
the soil in the timber counties are so variable that soils in various 
gradations from sand, gravel, and loam to the heaviest clay, are to 
be found in almost every orchard of considerable size. In all the . 
timber counties that have come under my observation the healthiest 
and most productive orchards are those that have the original forest 
growth located upon one or both of the north and west sides; and, 
as a further evidence of the benefits derived from orchard protec- 
tion, may be cited the facts that in the early settlement of Milwau- 
kee county, the whole country, extending from the lake to the 
prairie, was a dense forest, with occasionally a clearing of from two 
to ten acres. At this time peach trees were planted that came into 
bearing, and produced so abundantly as to break down many of 
the trees, and others perished from exhaustion caused by overbear- 
ing. Since that time the land has been denuded of timber to such 
an extent that peach trees cannot be grown except in isolated loca- 
tions and with some sort of protection. 
Having determined some of the causes that have tended to pro- 
duce injuries to fruit trees, and having adverted to the laudable 
efforts which have been, and which are now being made, for the in- 
troduction of iron-clads, originating hybrids, acclimating varieties 
by reproduction from seed for the prevention in the future of the 
wide spread disasters of the past; and having cited circumstances 
indicating that natural forest protection is beneficial, it remains to 
be seen what further conjunctive efforts are necessary to assist and 
forward the steps already taken for the accomplishment of the desi- 
rable results in the shortest possible space of time. 
As already shown, winter winds is one of the prime causes that 
has contributed to produce disastrous results, hence orchardists 
should consider it of the utmost importance to plant belts of trees 
around their orchards at such a distance apart as will break or im- 
pair the force of the winds, and also to plant dense lines of trees in 
the orchards at distances of not more than one hundred and eighty 
feet. Evergreen trees are the best adapted for orchard belts and 
protection lines, from the fact that they retain their foliage through 
the winter—‘: Each leaf of the compact foliage tending to obstruct 
and break the force of the strongest wind.” One row of evergreens 
closely planted will not only cost less but will. prove more effica- 
cious for the purpose intended than ten rows of deciduous trees, 
which have only their naked stems and branches to obstruct the 
force of the wind. Individual efforts in planting evergreen timber 
belts for orchard protection, although isolated, will not only prove 
efficacious for the purpose intended, but will be found to be practical 
