THE WINDBREAK AS A FARM ASSET. 



CONTENTS. 



WINDBREAKS ON THE PRAIRIES. 



WHEN the prairie regions of the Middle West * were first devel- 

 oped the lack of trees was felt severely. The clear sweep of 

 the winds across the flat plains was a great hindrance to agricul- 

 ture, for the soil was dried out quickly by evaporation, and grain 

 was lodged and orchards injured by the mechanical force of the 

 wind. Windbreaks were the only remedy, and thousands of miles 

 of them were planted along roads and farm division lines. The 

 effect of this planting, though only gradually felt, was very distinct; 

 farming and living conditions became more favorable throughout 

 the whole region. 



Considerable planting is still being done, but probably no more 

 than enough to counterbalance the cutting in windbreaks already 

 planted. Of course the need of windbreaks is not so acute now as 

 it has been in the past, but some extension of the planting in this 

 region is desirable, at least enough to protect the new areas which 

 have been put under cultivation. 



WHAT IS A WINDBREAK? 



Any body of trees which gives protection to buildings or crops 

 may be called a windbreak. This bulletin has to do, however, only 

 with belts of trees planted about fields and farm buildings, especially 

 for the purpose of breaking the force of the wind. The typical wind- 

 break is a belt consisting of from six to eight rows of trees and usu- 

 ally from a quarter of a mile to a mile in length. 



HOW A WINDBREAK PROTECTS. 



CHECKING WIND MOVEMENT. 



The influence of a timber windbreak upon air currents is purely 

 mechanical. Its effectiveness depends, therefore, upon how nearly 



ir The Middle West Includes the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Dakota. Nebraska, 

 and Kansas. 



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