5o 



THE APPLE 



is true of all trees suited to grove or windbreak purposes. Trees 

 growing in a mass protect each other and furnish the shade that 

 keeps the soil mellow and moist, at the same time preventing the 

 orowth of grass and weeds. The broader the belt of trees the better 

 are the results. On the other hand, if the shelter belt is made more 

 than about 2 rods wide, it will be necessary to plant a single row 

 of willows 4 or 5 rods to the north to prevent the snow from piling 

 in and breaking down the trees that are a part of the windbreak. 



In certain sections of the South it is a common practice to leave 

 some of the original forest to serve as a windbreak. Where the 

 belt is from 2 to 4 rods wide and thick from the ground up, this 

 protection is satisfactory. 



In the North and East where windbreaks have been planted, 

 it has been found that the Norway spruce is the most satisfactory 

 tree. Sometimes a mixed shelter belt of maples and Norway spruce 

 is used. This mixing is advantageous, since trees like the spruce 

 may become ragged if exposed to the full force of the wind, and 

 the maples serve as an effective break. 



Other trees which may be recommended for the northeastern 

 sections are the Austrian, Scotch, and white pines, the Lombardy 

 poplar, and native deciduous trees. 



In summarizing the suggestions for selecting trees for windbreaks 

 we need only say : ( 1 ) use the trees that are most common in your 

 particular locality, especially if these trees are healthy and thrifty ; 

 (2) take care that the trees selected are not preyed upon by insects 

 and diseases common to the apple tree ; (3) plant the windbreak in 

 belts, with the trees in single rows or mixed, according to the density 

 desired and the amount of protection necessary to break the force 

 of the winds prevailing in your locality. 



When to use windbreaks. No hard and fast rules can be laid 

 down as to when to use shelter belts. All exposed orchards would 

 be benefited by a properly built windbreak. Each orchardist must 

 decide whether his location requires such a protection. In general, 

 it is safe to say that a site having a western, southern, or northern 

 exposure would be helped by a natural forest or an artificial shelter 

 belt on the side toward the prevailing cold winds. 



