THE PLAINS SHELTERBELT PROJECT 267 



extends south approximately along the 100th meridian to a point near 

 the southwest corner of Mclntosh County on the south line of North 

 Dakota, thence southeast to Ganvalley on the 99th meridian, then 

 straight south to a point south of North Platte, Nebraska, thence to 

 the northwest corner of Gove County, Kansas, thence southeast to 

 Dodge City, Kansas, and to the northwest corner of Harper County, 

 Oklahoma, and southwest to the southwest corner of Scurry County, 

 Texas. 



In general, the location is designed to provide the most benefits 

 from tree planting. The area is reasonably productive but subject 



FIG. 134. One year's successful growth of Russian olive planted near Dalhart, 



Texas. 



to intermittent droughts. Climatic records show 7 that droughts sim- 

 ilar to the one of 1934 are of periodic recurrence. Records indicate a 

 recurrence of more abundant precipitation. If the shelterbelts can be 

 established during a period of normal precipitation, it is likely that 

 they will be able to withstand future droughts and perhaps ameliorate 

 their dangerous effects. Some existing plantations which antedate the 

 serious drought of 1890 are the basis for this planting. 



Within a zone approximately 100 miles wide and 1000 miles long, 

 trees will be planted on approximately one-fortieth of the area. Agri- 

 culture is not to be crowded out. Generally, planting will assume the 

 form of strips 8 to 10 rods wide through the central portion of each 

 section of land consisting of about 16 to 20 acres out of each square 



