Ill 



WINDBREAKS 



A PROPER site being chosen, some protection from 

 wind may still be desirable. Tracts of land freely ex- 

 posed to constant hard winds are undesirable, but al- 

 most any orchard may be benefited by a certain amount 

 of protection. 



The utility of windbreaks for orchard protection is 

 a subject which has been often discussed among Amer- 

 ican fruit growers. It is a subject, moreover, on which 

 a fair unanimity has been reached. There may still 

 be a few exceptions to the statements noted below, but 

 for the most part the matter is fairly well settled. 



There are three general purposes for which wind- 

 breaks are cultivated: (i) Protection during winter; 

 (2) summer protection; (3) protection of fruit in 

 picking time. It will be best to discuss these in order. 



Perhaps the object which has been most often dis- 

 cussed is that of winter protection. It seems to have 

 been felt, especially in the more northern states, that 

 the common fruits are all more or less tender and, 

 therefore, subject to damage during the cold weather 

 of winter. A great deal has been said about winter- 

 killing; and, indeed, more or less damage to young 

 growth and to fruit buds has been observed by almost 

 every fruit grower, no matter in what part of the 

 country his work has been done. 



It must 'be said, however, that the principal use of 

 the windbreak does not seem to be that of furnishing 

 winter protection. Nor is it the best use. Even when 



