90 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



The cabbage palmetto is often allowed to stand 

 promiscuously through the orange plantation, partly 

 to serve as a protection from winds, partly for 

 shade and ornament, and partly to exert some sup- 

 posed influence in correcting the acidity of the land. 

 In exposed places, orange -groves are sometimes 

 protected by very tall open fences. 



General summary upon wind-breaks. 1. A wind- 

 break may exert great influence upon a fruit planta- 

 tion . 



2. The benefits derived from wind-breaks are the 

 following : Protection from cold ; lessening of evapo- 

 ration from soil and plants; lessening of windfalls ; 

 lessening of liability to mechanical injury of trees ; 

 retention of snow and leaves ; facilitating of labor ; 

 protection of blossoms from severe winds ; enabling 

 trees to grow more erect ; lessening of injury from 

 the drying up of small fruits ; retention of sand in 

 certain localities ; hastening of maturity of fruits in 

 some cases ; encouragement of birds ; ornamentation. 



3. The injuries sustained from wind-breaks are 

 as follows : Preventing the free circulation of warm 

 winds, and consequent exposure to cold ; injuries 

 from insects and fungous diseases ; injuries from the 

 encroachment of the wind-break itself ; increased lia- 

 bility to late spring frosts in rare cases. 



a. The injury from cold, still air is usually 

 confined to those localities which are directly 

 influenced by large bodies of water, and which 

 are protected by forest belts. It can be avoided 

 by planting thin belts. 



