576 



lUnsinitcti taiiiidiaii lorrstry Maya.-jiiic. hcccmbcr. kjjd 



How Rcgiiia"s handsome legislative buildings are enhanced by a park of thriving trees. 



Prairie Tree-Planting and Profits from Live Stock 



{An Inter\>iew with Dr. Rutherford of the Board of Railway Commissioners, formerly 

 Veterinary Director Qeneral of Canada) 



The Canailian Rbrestry Association 

 has been directing considerable attention 

 to the subject of tree planting on the 

 open prairies of Western Canada for 

 shelter purposes for the crops and for 

 beautifying and rendering more comfort- 

 able the homes of our Western farmers 

 and ranchers. The importance of the re- 

 lation of shelter belts to the live stock in- 

 dustry has perhaps not been sufficiently 

 emphasized and the following remarks 

 embracing the opinion of such a well- 

 known authority as Dr. Rutherford 

 should prove of interest and value to our 

 Western readers. 



According to Dr. Rutherford, there 

 can be no doubt as to the advantage of 

 judiciously planted windbreaks to live 

 stock for their protection and for the 

 growing of forage ; and such windbreaks 

 should, in his opinion, be planted around 

 barns, outbuildings and corrals on the 

 bald open prairie. Cattle, like most 

 human beings, are very susceptible to the 



bitter cold winds which blow across the 

 prairie in winter and an efficient wind- 

 break of trees planted around the corral 

 or cattle sheds is sufficient to aiTord the 

 necessary shelter. 



In Manitoba there is, as a rule, suffic- 

 ient natural shelter in the shape of bluffs 

 of Poplar, Willow, etc., to which the 

 cattle or sheep can go for protection 

 against the cold winds, but on the open 

 prairies in Saskatchewan, and particular- 

 ly Southern Alberta, the natural shelter 

 is seldom available. 



Protection from the wind in the shape 

 of efficient windbreaks of trees is all that 

 is necessary to maintain live stock in a 

 state of health and contentment. 



The relation of tree shelter belts for 

 the growing of forage for live stock is 

 also a very important one. It has been 

 found extremely difficult to successfully 

 grow corn without adequate shelter. Ex- 

 periments with the growing of sun- 

 flowers conducted bv Dr. Rutherford 



