12 



down by the side of a windbreak already established or whether 

 the windbreak is planted with the orchard. But in any case 

 it is better to have them too far away than too near. Prob- 

 ably 50 or 60 feet would be the minimum, and 100 to 150 

 would be more desirable. The land between could be used 

 for grass or utilized in some other way. Where the trees are 

 set too near the orchard there is always a good deal of dam- 

 age and the fruit is much poorer on that side of the orchard. 



It is also desirable, if it can be arranged, to have both 

 near-by and distant windbreaks; and where the windbreak is 

 at the bottom of the slope (if the orchard is located in a 

 section which is likely to be troubled by frost), care should 

 be taken to keep it open at the bottom so that the cold air 

 may drain through. 



It may be worth while to close this discussion of wind- 

 breaks by a mere catalogue of the advantages to be secured 

 from them. Some of the important ones would be as 

 follows : — 



(1) To protect plantations from cold in winter. This de- 

 pends somewhat on the type of winter, but it was shown 

 very definitely in the winter of 1913-14 that those plantation^ 

 that were out exposed to severe winds were damaged much 

 more severely than similar plantations which were protected. 



(2) The windbreak reduces the number of windfalls. This 

 needs no discussion, but is often a serious matter. The writer 

 recalls one orchard man whose crop was around 3,000 barrels, 

 and who one season picked up 700 barrels after a severe wind 

 storm. 



(3) It prevents the breaking of trees when laden with fruit or 

 covered with ice. 



(4) It reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil. 

 This might be extremely important during severely dry spells. 



(5) It facilitates labor. This has already been discussed. 



(6) It helps to retain snow and leaves in the orchard. This 

 is important in those sections where deep freezing of soil is 

 likely to occur and result in root injury. 



(7) It prevents injury to the blossoms where severe winds 

 occur during the blossoming period. 



