OUR FORESTS . 35 



thrifty, larger trees that produce high-grade and high-priced 

 forest producís. 



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 county agricul- 

 tural agent, State extensión 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 the farm 

 woodlands have been planted. These plantations usually take the 

 form of field or farmstead windbreaks which, besides being a source 

 of timber producís, protect crops and farm buildings from the winds 

 that have a clear sweep across the fíat country. Windbreaks 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 movement of the 

 topsoil, they help to prevent dust storms. It ís said that 40 acres of 

 trees planted in narrow strips crosswise from the direction of pre- 

 vailing winds will protect 600 acres of farm land. 



Confident of the benficial effects of tree planting in the Plains 

 región, the Forest Service is carrying on the Prairie States Forestry 

 Project. The Service cooperates with farmers in the establishment 

 of field and farmstead windbreaks on their farms, the farmer fur- 

 nishing the land and fencing materials and the Forest Service sup- 

 plying planting stock, planting the trees, and building the required 

 fences. The work is begun only after a Forest Service officer has 

 looked over the proposed site, and has made a favorable report on 

 location, condition of soil, etc. Late figures show that plantings 

 under the Prairie States Forestry Project have been made on ap- 

 proximately 20,000 farms in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, 

 Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. 



The species selected for planting in the Prairie States Forestry 

 Project are, for the most part, those which have become adjusted 

 to the climate and soils of the Western Great Plains región through 

 many generations. The planting stock is grown in Government- 

 owned nurseries or others leased for that purpose. Since 1935, a 

 total of 127 million trees and shrubs have been planted in 11,000 

 miles of field windbreaks. Some strips planted in 1935 are already 

 large enough to yield several hundred posts per mile as thinnings, 

 without injuring the valué of the windbreaks in tempering the 

 winds. The Forest Service believes that trees will lessen the disas- 

 trous eífects of drought in the Plains región, and in short, make that 

 part of the country a better place in which to live. 



The headquarters of the Director of the Prairie States Forestry 

 Project is at Lincoln, Neb. 



COMMERCIAL FORESTRY 



Commercial or industrial forestry is the business of growing timber 

 as a crop to supply industrial needs. In the past, few of the prívate 

 concerns which had extensive forest holdings did more than exploit 

 their mature timber; and gave little heed to the permanent pro- 



