Windbreaks and Shelterbelts 



crowns of the trees come together 

 enough to shade out grass and weeds, 

 cultivation can be discontinued, except 

 in dry areas where rainfall is so scant 

 that continued cultivation is necessary. 



Two GREAT ENEMIES of trees are fire 

 and livestock. When fire occurs, it is 

 usually sudden and its destruction is 

 complete ; it brings to naught the years 

 of care. The damage caused by live- 

 stock is as sure as fire in destroying 

 eventually the windbreak or shelter- 

 belt. Browsing of shrubs and the lower 

 branches of trees and young reproduc- 

 tion opens up the stand to the drying 

 effect of the winds, allows the snow to 

 blow through, and generally reduces 

 the effectiveness of the planting. Con- 

 stant trampling by stock so compacts 

 the soil that it puddles and seals the 

 surface, and a smaller portion of the 

 precipitation reaches the tree roots; 

 moreover, the trampling may injure 

 the roots or result in breakage or other 

 damage to the stem of the tree. 



Tree plantings, if adequately pro- 

 tected, do not demand frequent atten- 

 tion, but the comparatively simple 

 measures that are needed do require 

 timely application. 



Pruning of shelterbelts should ordi- 

 narily be confined to the removal of 



199 



dead or diseased trees or broken limbs. 

 Some thinning may be desirable in 

 thickly planted stands or other special 

 circumstances. 



After a planting has reached ma- 

 turity and small openings begin to ap- 

 pear in the crowns, underplanting is 

 important and will fill in the gaps. 

 Usually only very tolerant trees, such 

 as redcedar, will succeed among the 

 older trees. 



JOSEPH H. STOEGKELER is in charge 

 of the Northern Lakes Forest Research 

 Center at Rhinelander, Wis., a branch 

 of the Lake States Forest Experiment 

 Station. He has been engaged in re- 

 search in the Forest Service since 1931. 

 From 1935 to 1942, when the Prairie 

 States Forestry Project was pushing 

 extensive shelterbelt planting in the 

 Great Plains, he participated in the in- 

 vestigations that provided the tech- 

 nical standards for that project. 



Ross A. WILLIAMS has been chief 

 of the Division of Forestry for the 

 Northern Great Plains Region of the 

 Soil Conservation Service at Lincoln, 

 Nebr., since 1935. Previously he served 

 with the Forest Service and taught at 

 the Ranger School of the New York 

 State College of Forestry and at Mon- 

 tana State University. 



HEELING IN 



Dig V-shaped trench 

 in moist shady place 



3 Cover roots with loose 

 moist soil and water 

 well 





CARRYING PLANTING 

 STOCK 



Open bundles 

 spread out evenly 



4 Complete filling in soi 

 and firm with feet 



Keep roots covered with water, 

 removing one plant at a time 

 as planting progresses 



