UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



^rt BULLETIN No. 1113 ^A 



ji^^^3L 



Washington, D. G. 



January 13, 1923 



DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATIVE SHELTER- 

 BELT DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE NORTHERN 

 GREAT PLAINS. 



By Robert Wilso>' and F. E. Cobb, Assistants in Dry-Land Arboriculture, Office 

 of Dry-Land Agriculture Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction !• 



The plan of cooperation 1 



Area covered by shelter-belt demon- 

 strations 3 



Topoijraphy 3 



Soils___l __--- 5 



Climate 5 



Notes on tree species 6 



Page. 



Trees in relation to soil types 14 



Shelter-belt planting plans 1.5 



Demonstration plantings 17 



Growth study of cooperative shelter 



belts planted in 1916 24 



Experimental plantings 25 



Summary and conclusions 26 



INTRODUCTION. 



To show the possibility of planting trees for shelter belts and to 

 demonstrate the proper methods of starting and caring for these 

 plantings the Northern Great Plains Field Station near Mandan, 

 N. Dak., in the development of one line of its work, has undertaken 

 a cooperation with a number of farmers in the northern Great Plains 

 area. The main objects of the cooperation are to stimulate interest 

 in the improvement of farm homes by planting belts of trees around 

 the farm buildings and to determine by actual trial the species of 

 trees best adapted to the different sections of the region. 



THE PLAN OF COOPERATION. 



The L^nited States Department of Agriculture undertakes under 

 certain outlined conditions to furnish without charge to farmers 

 living in the territory the trees necessary to plant a suitable shelter 

 belt for the farm buildings. The farmer on his part agrees to plant 

 and care for the trees in accordance with plans and instructions 

 furnished by the department. 



The working details of these cooperative shelter-belt demonstra- 

 tions are issued in a series of five circulars which outline the methods 



3607°— 23 1 



