60 PRINCII'LKS OF AMEKICAN^ FOKESTKY. 



especially those where stock is pastured. These views can 

 generally be secured without seriously impairing the value 

 of the windbreaks, by cutting small openings in them or 

 perhaps by simply shortening the trees, so that they will 

 not interfere with the line of sight. 



The Cash Value of properly placed (not misplaced) 

 shelter-belts is difficult to estimate, but they have an 

 actual cash value aside from their ornamental value. 

 From a number of obsei-vations I am inclined to believe 

 that such a shelter-belt as is here described v.ill often add 

 as much as $1 ,000 to the selling price of a qtiarter sec- 

 tion of land, and that two dollars per annum for each head 

 of neat cattle kept is not a high estimate of its annual 

 return. Besides this, if seedlings of the native wild plum 

 is used as a nurse crop in the shelter-belts it will often 

 return good crops of fruit for perhaps ten years, which, 

 while inferior to our cultivated kinds, is exceedingly valu- 

 able for cuUnary purposes and appreciated by every farm 

 household. 



