Woods 57 



Forests and fruit-growing. — One of the reasons why 

 fruit-growing is attended with increasing difficulties is 

 because the forests have been destroyed, thereby opening 

 the country to the winds. There is no evidence that the 

 extremes of temperature or fluctuations in annual means 

 have become larger in recent years from the effects of 

 forest-removal, or that there are more high winds now than 

 formerly, but it is true that winds blow over the farm 

 with greater force. Winds sweep the surface and bear 

 away the moisture of the soil at the same time that they 

 come in contact with the trees and bushes themselves, 

 and take away their moisture. The chief effect of the 

 forest is to check the force of winds in prescribed areas. 

 It has a local influence. Aside from all this, if forests were 

 retained about the sources of creeks and on springy 

 hillsides, a more continuous supply of water might be 

 secured for irrigation, live-stock, spraying and domestic 

 uses. It is worth saying, also, that a country dotted here 

 and there with forest areas is much more attractive to 

 every person who loves variety of landscape and nature. 



While there are thus many advantages to fruit-growing 

 of small forest preserves, there are also disadvantages. 

 In certain cases they may become the harbors and breed- 

 ing-places of insect or fungous invasions. This difficulty 

 may be largely avoided by cutting out those trees and 

 bushes that breed the fruit-grower's enemies. The wild 

 cherries are much loved of the tent-caterpillars, the elm of 

 the canker-worm, and wild roses and their kin of the rose- 

 chafer. The cedar-apple fungus thrives on the red cedar, 

 and is thence transported to the quince or apple orchard, 

 and a form of it affects the wild thorn trees. The red-rust 

 flourishes on the wild blackberries, dewberries and black 

 raspberries, and the strawberry diseases breed in the 



