266 THE PLAINS SHELTERBELT PROJECT 



the protection and cultivation that may be necessary to insure satis- 

 factory development and extended life. The entire plan is based upon 

 a general public improvement and not a subsidy or a dole to some 

 of the residents of the region. The land will be purchased in fee 

 simple or controlled through leases purchased by rights or through 

 cooperative agreements. 



General Location of the Shelterbelt Zone. Shelterbelts are planted 

 at intervals of about 1 mile and consist usually of 10 to 20 rows 

 of trees. Nearly every possible variation in form, direction, and 



FIG. 133. Bessey Nursery, Nebraska National Forest, Nebraska, along the Nio- 

 brara river. Successful plantations of 13,000 acres of ponderosa pine, jack pine 

 and several other species have been made over a period of several years from 

 these extensive Federal nurseries which 1 have an annual capacity of 2,500,000 

 trees. About 1200 acres are planted annually on these sand hills. 



arrangement will be used, depending upon the location of the prevail- 

 ing winds and other local circumstances such as topography, soil, and 

 the needs of the local farmsteads. Careful studies of soil, climate, 

 and vegetative factors during the early stages of the project have been 

 made to determine location. They will extend from the northern 

 boundary of North Dakota in a general southerly direction for a dis- 

 tance of about 1000 miles. The eastern boundary generally coincides 

 with the western limit of a region where previous experience gives 

 some reasonable assurance of future success in tree planting. Starting 

 at the northwest corner of Rolette County, North Dakota, the zone 



