50 ELEMENTARY FORESTRY. 



mines the location of the drives and of the shelter belts if any 

 are to be planted. There are many factors which should enter 

 into the study of this question, among the first of which is the 

 lay of the land. Good drainage and good water are the first 

 requisites for the location of a home, after which comes 

 convenience and beauty. It is very desirable that the first 

 location be made just right, since when other improvements 

 and buildings have been commenced it can seldom be changed 

 without much extra expense. In the case of most of our 

 farms the subject of plans is conspicuous by its absence, as 

 small cramped grounds about inconveniently arranged build- 

 ings bear abundant evidence. 



In figure 5 is shown four plans suggestive of the proper 

 location of the shelter belts about farm buildings located on 

 level prairies and varying according to the location of the 

 main highway. Five acres in the form of a rectangle, 25 rods 

 wide and 32 rods long, are included in the land about the 

 buildings and this has a shelter belt five rods wide on the 

 north and west sides and on the south side two rows of trees 

 ten feet apart, with the trees one rod apart in the rows. With- 

 in this enclosure are all the farm buildings, orchard fruit and 

 vegetable garden, barnyards, etc. The house should be with- 

 in 100 feet of the road and the stock buildings at least 100 feet 

 from the house and garden. About the buildings and garden 

 some supplementary windbreaks and ornamental trees and 

 shrubs will be needed for wind protection and for beautifying 

 the place. This arrangement gives plenty of room for the 

 buildings, barnyards, garden and orchards, and while all the 

 land enclosed may not be needed for these purposes, the 

 remainder is well adapted to the growing of general farm 

 crops. The plans are only suggestive and no attempt is made 

 to work out details, and there are comparatively few farms 

 that they would fit exactly. For instance, while it is desir- 

 able to have the buildings centrally located, their position 

 must frequently be pushed to one side on account of a swamp 

 or lowland which is not suitable for them or their position 

 may be determined by a beautiful natural grove. Figure ft 

 shows a plan for a south front drawn on a larger scale. It 

 may often be desirable to change the shape of the land 

 enclosed, but in the great majority of prairie farms a plan 



