8 



the south as a shield against the hot winds of summer. Protection on 

 the east is not so essential, though a narrow belt of trees would be 

 desirable. 



Sufficient shelter during winter is one of the important problems in 

 connection with the live-stock industry on the plains. Stock can be 

 fattened and carried through the winter more economically under 

 shelter than in the open. One of the most satisfactory shelters is a 

 shield of trees. 



Successful orcharding in this region is largely dependent on wind- 

 breaks. On the east and south exposures of the orchards they assist in 

 keeping the buds of the fruit trees dormant until after the danger from 

 frost is past. On the west and north they check the force of the driv- 

 ing winds, and wherever placed they protect the orchard from hail. 

 The windbreak on the east need not be wide, but it should be high. 

 On the south, west, and north it should be at least 2 rods wide. 



The protection given by forest belts to field crops is receiving atten- 

 tion. In the corn belt of Nebraska, in seasons of light rainfall, the 

 best yields are realized from fields with windbreaks on the south and 

 west. This is due to the influence of the trees in checking the force 

 of the wind, with the corresponding decrease in evaporation from the 

 soil. Another important purpose of windbreaks is to protect crops 

 from direct damage by wind. The influence of a single shelterbelt is, 

 of course, only very local, but the general establishment of windbreaks 

 throughout a region would break the force of local windstorms. 



COMMERCIAL PLANTING. 



While planting timber for commercial production will usually be 

 impracticable, owing to small size of farms and high land values, yet 

 with the same degree of care and skill that is given to the raising of 

 other crops a certain amount of commercial planting will bring a 

 profit. A large part of the timber supply, such as posts, fuel wood, 

 and repair material, required on the farm, can be grown in the home 

 woodlot. 



On many farms there are patches which, though irrigable, lie in out- 

 of-the-way corners or are otherwise not readily accessible for ordinary 

 farming; these can be used in forest planting. Certain spots which, 

 through seepage, have become too wet for field crops, are still of value 

 because some forest trees will thrive there. Sandy lands on the farm 

 or near it may often be planted to conifers, and will not require culti- 

 vation. The north and east exposures of these sandy areas are by far 

 the more favorable for tree growth. South and west slopes can not as 

 a rule be successfully planted. It should be borne in mind that shift- 

 ing sands wholly devoid of vegetation must be held in place before 

 they can be set to forest trees. 



[Cir. 109] 



