240 THE PRACTICAL GARDEN -BOOK 



ticularly in the winter time, it is better not to stop it, but to 

 allow it to circulate through the plantation. This is the case 

 in areas which lie close to large bodies of water. The wind 

 coming off the water is warmer than that off the land, and 

 tends thereby to protect the fruit plantation from severe cold. 

 A circulation of air is desirable in late spring and early fall 

 in order to avoid the still frosts. Therefore, if the area is 

 very closely surrounded by dense plantations, it may have 

 what the fruit-growers call "stagnant air;" but thinning out 

 the Windbreak on one or two sides, or cutting holes through 

 it, may allow the air to move through, thereby affording at- 

 mospheric drainage and insuring greater immunity from 

 the light local frosts. 



It is ordinarily better to break the force of the winds than 

 to stop or deflect them. That is, the Windbreak may be thin 

 enough to allow the wind to take its normal direction, but its 

 force is broken. A stone wall or a very dense hedge of 

 evergreens may cause the wind to rise over the plantation or 

 to be deflected to one side; and this, in many cases, as al- 

 ready said, may be a decided disadvantage. The philosophy of 

 a good Windbreak for fruit plantations may be summed up in 

 this way: the force of heavy winds should be broken; 

 warm winds should be allowed to circulate freely through 

 the plantation; still air should be avoided. 



Ordinarily, one or two rows of deciduous trees are suffi- 

 cient protection. When the plantation is very much ex- 

 posed to very cold or land winds, a thick evergreen screen 

 may be a decided advantage. It is usually better to have 

 the heavy Windbreak on the upper side of the area, so that it 

 may not interfere with the natural drainage of the cold air 

 down the slope. In making a Windbreak, it is important 

 that those trees be chosen which will not become harboring 

 places for orchard enemies. The wild cherry, for example, 

 is inveterately attacked by the tent caterpillar, and the wild 

 crabs and wild plums are likely to breed orchard insects. If 

 the Windbreak is planted some time in advance of the 



