Illustrated Canadian Forestry Magazine, December, ipjo 



577 



Kanauaskis Fall, Bow River. 



many years ago in Southern Alberta are 

 most interesting and bear directly on the 

 tree shelter belt question. He sowed a 

 row of sunflower seeds against the pre- 

 vailing winds or to the westward of his 

 crop of corn. Xc.xl to this shelter belt 

 of sunflowers he sowed a few rows of 

 corn, then another belt of sunflowers and 

 more corn. 



r>y increasing the density of the shel- 

 ter belt or increasing tiie number of rows 

 of sunflowers, it was found that corn 

 could be successfully grown. This was 

 how sunflowers came into use for siloage 

 as Dr. Ixutherford ini\i.'<l ihi' sunflowers 

 with the corn and fonuil that Ins >tock 

 thrived on the mi.xturc. 



Dr. Ixutherford htid ■^piTi.d (.Mnjiha^is 

 on the importance of w indl)rcal<s around 

 the farm dwelHngs, stating thai the 

 greatest argument in favor of the plant- 

 ing of windbreaks on the prairie was 

 in making the home a comfortal)le place 

 in which to live. '"A home is not a home" 

 said he "if, when one steps out the door. 

 he is met with a strong biting w ind. The 



chil "ren can not enjoy a romp in the out- 

 doors about the house and the live stock 

 are devoid of th.e shelter tliey require." 

 Contrast this state of aitairs with a farm 

 where the dwelling house, bams, out- 

 buildings and corral are all stronglv forti- 

 fled from the cold prevailing winds, by 

 an adequate windbreak of properly plant 

 ed trees. There can be no doubt as to the 

 substantial advantage of tree windbreaks 

 on the bald open prairie to man and beast. 



'•Forests are the liit and rein of streams." The 

 regulation of stream tlow is the function of forest 

 growth on the watersheds. Kill that forest growth 

 by the plague of tire and you forfeit the reliability 

 of the annual flow. 



