OUR FORESTS 35 
To get the best results from his woods the farmer should adopt 
good forestry practices which aim to produce a continuous supply of 
the most valuable timber at the fastest rate. When he takes out his 
merchantable trees, he should as a general rule cut lightly—never 
clear-cut the stand—so that he can come back often for similar hght 
harvests. Thus he will always maintain a good stand of trees—cap1- 
tal in his woods “savings bank.” ‘Trees of the less desirable kinds, 
the smaller, overcrowded ones, and those that are broken, crooked, 
large-limbed, or diseased, should also be cut and used for farm pur-. 
poses or sold. This will allow light and growing space for the 
main-crop trees, and the younger generations fighting for a place in 
the sun will be helped to become the straight, thrifty, larger trees 
that produce high-grade and high-priced forest products. 
Since every woodland cannot be managed to the best advantage in 
the same way, the owner will do well to consult a forester as to what 
his woods will best produce and how they should be handled. He 
may obtain information of this sort from his local Farm Forestry 
Project representative, State extension forester, or from his State 
forester. 
Most of the woodlands found on farms are of natural growth, but 
in the prairie regions, where there was little native growth, some farm 
woodlands have been planted. These plantations usually take the 
form of field or farmstead windbreaks or shelterbelts which, besides 
being a source of timber products, protect crops and farm buildings 
from the winds that have a clear sweep across the flat country. Wind- 
breaks also give protection from extremes of heat and cold, conserve 
the water from rains and melting snow, and tend to prevent the 
quick drying and subsequent blowing of soils. By checking the move- 
ment of the topsoil, they help to prevent duststorms. It has been 
demonstrated that 40 acres of trees planted in narrow strips cross- 
wise to the direction of prevailing winds wil! protect 600 acres of 
farm land. - : 
To help extend the beneficial effects of tree planting in the Plains 
region, the Forest Service launched a special Prairie States Forestry 
Project in 1935. The Service cooperated with farmers in the estab- 
lishment of field and farmstead windbreaks, the farmer furnishing the 
land and fencing materials and the Forest Service supplying plant- 
ing stock and planting the trees. The work was begun only after a 
Forest Service officer had looked over the proposed site, and had made 
a favorable report on location, condition of soil, etc. By 1942 plant- 
ings under the Prairie States Forestry Project had been made on 
approximately 29,000 farms in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, 
Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. 
The species selected for planting were, for the most part, those 
which through many generations have become adjusted to the climate 
and soils of the western Great Plains region. The planting stock 
was grown in Government-owned nurseries or others leased for that 
purpose. In 7 years, a total of more than 200,000,000 trees and shrubs 
were planted in 17,000 miles of field windbreaks. Some strips planted 
in 1935 were large enough within 3 or 4 years to yield several hun- 
dred posts per mile as thinnings, without injuring the value of the 
windbreaks in tempering ‘he winds. The Forest Service believes 
that trees will lessen the disastrous effects of drought in the Plains 
