MAKING THE ORCHARD. 59 



were thriving well on the substance that the fruit 

 trees later would stand so much in need of. 



An artificial wind break of this kind is an excel- 

 lent thing for the buildings, and it should embrace 

 several acres, but for a protection to the orchard it is 

 worse than useless. In a quiet warm day in late win- 

 ter these groves reflect the sun's rays and if continued 

 for some days will either start too early a growth 

 which is soon to freeze up again, or the freezing and 

 thawing of the bark kills it in patches and we have 

 the next summer the evidence in the sloughing off 

 of the bark on the sunny side, followed by decayed 

 wood and a consequent swarm of borers which take 

 possession and death soon follows. 



It is generally conceded now by practical orchard- 

 ists that these wind breaks are detrimental to the 

 fruit trees, but we are frequently asked what we are 

 to do to prevent the fruit from blowing off. 



We answer by asking what prevents this in an 

 orchard of several hundred acres in extent? Adams 

 says that the best wind break is ' 'another row of 

 trees. " If it is determined to have this wind break 

 why not make it of the Haas apple? It is a strong, 

 very upright grower, is fully as limby as the cotton- 

 wood, and will make timber for fuel and many other 

 purposes in value as fast as the cotton woods. A cord 

 of this wood for fuel would be worth perhaps 

 more than twice as much as the cottonwoods, and 

 there would be the additional value of the fruit, 

 for if well fed these trees- will bear growing very 

 thickly. 



