Canadian Forestry Journal, April, ipi6. 495 



Planting Snowbreaks on Railways 



What Canadian and American Experience Has Shown Thus Far 

 — Cutting- Down Cost of the "Snow Crop." 



The following article from "The State Forester on the morning of 

 North Woods" will interest readers March 20. The live snow fence was 

 of the Journal. The difficulties of the object of discussion. For many 

 ^'the snow crop" have been faced years these railroads have been pa- 

 equally by our Canadian railroads tiently building portable board fen- 

 and the planting of trees as a per- ces at a cost about $3.50 per rod, 

 manent solution for snow troubles laboriously distributing along the 

 ha.s been recognized for some years, cuts every fall and collecting them 

 The Intercolonial Railway perform- every spring at a further cost of at 

 ed some windbreak work but, ac- least fifteen cents per rod, and with 

 cording to present information, did the full understanding that a new 

 not maintain the plantations. The set of panels would have to be con- 

 Canadian Pacific on their western structed at least every five years, 

 lines have planted windbreaks ex- And even at that the results have 

 tensively, and similar work on the not always been satisfactory, 

 eastern lines will be commenced this 



spring. It is understood also that The Work of Testing. 



the Canadian Northern have been Many of the roads have tired of 



investigating the matter. The feeding this financial leak and are 



practice on Canadian Pacific wes- attempting to replace this temporary 



tern lines has been to use willow and expensive fence system with a 



and broad-leaved species which permanent snowbreak of trees and 



have the advantage of speedy shrubs planted along the right of 



growth. It may be that spruce or way. It is pioneer work along this 



other conifers will be found useful line, and subject to all the derision 



for the purpose. This is a point and doubts that such new ideas are 



which the experiments thus far have heir to. Some are skeptical, some 



not successfully determined. confident, but all of them who have 



"Those most closely interested in taken up the work are spending con- 

 harvesting the snow crop — aside siderable money on it. Naturally 

 from a few over-zealous men — are much of the work is of an experi- 

 the railroads. There is always a mental character because no one 

 certain amount of snow — or rather a knows just what kind of a snow- 

 very uncertain amount which shows break will be most effective ; what 

 a tendency to collect in the railroad species to use, how to place them or 

 cuts or on the prairies. The railroad how to plant them. Up to the pre- 

 men are interested in corralling that sent each one has been groping on 

 snow before it gets into the cut. alone with but little idea of what 

 They are all convinced that it must the others were doing. This meet- 

 be corralled, but the best method of ing was called to effect an exchange 

 doing it is still in doubt. of ideas, and see what could be 



It was to discuss this important learned from all the experience of 



question that the representative of the different roads viewed in the 



eight railroads and of the College of aggregate. The result was wxU 



Forestry met in the office of the worth while. 



