44 THE APPLE 



2. Not only does wind take up lower temperatures from matter 

 it passes over, but it is subject to rise in temperature, as well. 

 Wind passing over very dry, hot land would partake somewhat of 

 the same temperature. Then if this wind should pass through an 

 unprotected orchard, a large amount of moisture would be taken 

 from the soil, thereby tending to increase the injury from drought. 



3. Unprotected sections of land are often subjected to loss of 

 snow in winter by the blowing away of the snow. Leaves and 

 other protecting matter may also be blown away by a free, sweep- 

 ing wind. This removal of the protective bodies, such as snow, 

 leaves, and so forth, from the soil would result in deep freezing of 

 the soil in winter and loss of moisture by evaporation in summer. 

 With the installation of a properly constructed windbreak, both of 

 these injuries would be averted. 



4. During the winter there are frequent heavy snowstorms or 

 storms where ice is formed upon the trees. If to this load of 

 ice is added the high winds, great danger is wrought by the 

 breaking of the limbs of the apple trees. Windbreaks would serve 

 as a preventive in cases of a like nature. 



5. Many times in the fall the estimate of the apple crop in a 

 certain locality is placed very high, owing to the loaded condition 

 of the trees. Later there occurs one of those sweeping, destruc- 

 tive windstorms, and the unprotected trees lose, to a large ex- 

 tent, their bumper crop. Windbreaks properly placed and made 

 up of the necessary varieties of trees would have a great influ- 

 ence upon lessening the number of windfall sduring the time just 

 previous to harvesting. 



6. As one passes through the country and notices the apple trees, 

 a particular fact is in evidence. Orchards on exposed places have a 

 tendency to " cant " the trees in one direction or another. In one 

 section the trees may lean toward the northeast, denoting that the 

 prevailing wind is from the southwest ; in another section the trees 

 may bend toward the southeast or some other direction. In each case 

 the trees show that the strong prevailing winds from the opposite 

 direction have caused them to bend their trunks and heads. The 

 result of this bending is crooked trees. In a great many instances, 

 apple trees in these orchards would have grown straight if the proper 

 windbreak had been planted at the time of " setting " the orchard. 



