Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-02-19
Shade Treos on the Farm.

The contrast between two regions
of country, the one with trees judic-
iously distributed and the other with
out them, is sufficient in itself to make
any man favor the former The gen
orally attractive appearance Of coun-
try is certainly one of its strong
points, and mankind clings to things
Of beauty quite as tenaciously rs
to those of strict usefulness and in
trinsic value. Nomadic races seldom
inhabit billy, mountainous or wooded
countries, for those tend directly to
fixedness of purpose and a love of
one spot which we term home. A
rock, hill or tree is All object which
clings to the memory of both civil
lized and uncivilized man. This idea
may seem somewhat sentimental, but
it cannot be denied that it is very
potent in its influence upon nations
as well as communities.
A goodly number of shade trees
about the farm buildings add much
to the general appearance of the place,
as also to the comfort Of man and
beast during the hot days of summer.
But many make the mistake Of plant
ing too many large growing trees
near their dwellings,, which in time
exclude both light and air and cause
the buildings standing constantly in
the shade to become unhealthy. In
cold climates deciduous trees should
always be preferred to evergreens,
when planted in positions likely to
shade the house, because it is only in
hot weather that shade is desirable,
and in winter all the light and solar
heat to be obtained are required for
both comfort and health. AS rule
we would say keep all trees of larger
growth at least 100 feet from dwell
ing-house, using the intervening
space as 4 lawn, in which may be
planted small growing trees and
shrubs. Evergreen trees should be
employed exclusively for ornamental
ton or as windbreaks, but never for
shade.
1t has been frequently urged that
trees in pastures encourage laziness
in animals, for when such comfortable
retreats from the hot sun in summer
are at hand they are likely to tarry
too long at these resting places
While it is true that animal instinct
may not be any surer preventative
against indiscretions in the dumb
brute than in man, still we believe
that in all ruminants digestion pro
ceeds more regularly when the ami
NAL is comfortably at rest than when
subject to opposite conditions. Ami
mails appear to be disposed to seek
the cool shade of Il tree when the
heat is oppressive, and it is cruel, to
say the least, to deprive them of this
comfort. We have always noticed
that animals having comfortable
resting place during the hottest part
OF the day would feed later at night
as well as commence earlier in the
morning; consequently we fail to see
wherein shade trees in pasture are
detrimental to good health or the fat
tening of animals, as is sometimes
asserted. There are certainly two
sides to this question, but the more
humane practice would be to provide
shade, to say nothing of appearances.
Continuous rows of stately trees
along the roadside add much to the
appearance of a farm or county,
But it is urged that shaded roads re-
main wet and muddy much longer
after heavy rains than those fully ex-
posed to the sun. This is doubtless
true, but as an offset we may claim
that they are less liable to become
dusty, and between the two evils
there is not much choice. Decidu-
Gus trees only should be planted
along roadsides in cold climates, be-
cause they afford shade during the
season when most needed if at all.
Roadside trees may interfere with
the growth of crops in the fields adj
joining by shading as well as by the
absorption of moistures by their roots
but as we can scarcely secure any
thing of value without some loss
perhaps the pleasure derived from
passing over shady road during the
hot weather in summer as well as the
beautiful appearance Of such high
ways more than compensates TOR the
slight losses which they entail.-N.
Y. San.
LY4xcn.