9 



The Colorado blue spruce and the Black Hills spruce can 

 be readily grown in North Dakota, but they are too expensive 

 and slow growing for ordinary windbreaks. 



PLANTING THE WINDBREAK 



The width of a windbreak has much to do, not only with 

 its efficiency in checking the wind, but in the matter of the 

 growth of the trees themselves. 



A single tree or row of trees planted on the open prairie 

 cannot succeed as well as a mass of trees. This is true of all 

 trees suited for grove or windbreak purposes. Trees growing in 

 a mass protect each other and furnish the shade that keeps the 

 soil mellow and moist and prevents the growth of grass and 

 weeds. The broader the belt of trees, the more perfectly 

 this is accomplished. On the other hand, if the shelter belt 

 is made more than about two rods in width, it will be neces- 

 sary to plant a single row of willows four or five rods to the 

 north to prevent the snow from piling in and breaking down 

 the trees that go to make up the windbreak. The one shown 

 in plates Nos. 2 and 3 consists of golden Russian willow on 

 the north, elm on the south, while the intervening rows are 

 of green ash and soft maple. This windbreak is seventeen 

 years old and twenty-seven feet high. The willows have been 

 out back from time to time to furnish cuttings. 



The elms have been kept trimmed for appearance's -sake, 

 but the rest of the trees have been allowed to develop branches 

 as low down as they would. The growth, was too dense to 

 allow cultivation after five years. The trees at planting time 

 were two year old seedlings that had been discarded as too 

 crooked and scrubby to plant in a grove. They were set in 

 furrow r s made with a walking plow and cultivated as long as 

 possible. This may be considered a good type of windbreak 

 for the eastern part of the state. Further west it might be 

 safer to plant box-elder in place of the soft maple and oleaster 

 in place of the willow, the ash still to be planted as the prin- 

 cipal tree. 



As a matter of fact, all the trees mentioned are hardy 

 enough and if the man planting them will give them the same 

 care that nature does, by providing a mellow, moist soil, 

 his windbreaks will comfort him till the end of his days. 



