WINDBREAKS BY THE MILE. 327 



as well, but we can not always depend upon them to do it at the 

 exact time we want it done. 



The third way we are working is in devising a machine 

 that will prepare the land and also cultivate the soil. I think 

 in a year or two we will have such a machine. It is simply a 

 dream yet, but I hope in the future to tell you something about 

 the results of our efforts. 



We first planted the trees by hand. We planted 35,000 trees 

 in 1915. Each man plants about a hundred a day. The best record 

 we made was 2,000 trees a day by twelve men. We found hand 

 planting too expensive, and anticipating difficulties later we be- 

 gan to hunt for a tree planting machine. I did not find anything 



A machine for planting trees for windbreaks along the "Soo" line in the Northwest, 

 under the superintendence of Mr. Hoverstad. 



in the length and breadth of the country. We designed one of 

 our own, and last spring we did all our planting with it.. 



We have made only one machine, and that planted between 

 75,000 and 100,000 trees. Most of them are alive today, so the 

 first trial is a success. Of course, the first machine was not in 

 all respects satisfactory — there are some defects we shall correct 

 — but it was very much better than we had anticipated. The 

 machine is not patented and will not be patented. We think we 

 can plant 10,000 trees a day with it, and when it is perfected we 

 may be able to plant 20,000 to 25,000 trees a day. I am not sure 

 whether such a machine is a practical thing for planting trees 

 except under our conditions. What we are interested in is not the 

 trees. What we want is to stop the snow before it gets to the 

 track. We do not care very much about a tall stem to the trees, 

 because that doesn't hold the snow any more than a fork handle. 

 We want a tree with the greatest amount of branches that we can 

 possibly get to grow close to the ground. 



