The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-02-03
The Protection Afforded by Trees.

Mr.. IRVING d. Cook shows, in one
of his contributions to the Tribune. the
value and practical advantage of plant
ing trees, and especially orchards, on
the windWard side of farm buildings to
stand as breakers for keeping OF the
winter blasts which have almost o free
sweep through the best farming portion
OF our country, where nearly all the ma
tive timber has been removed so as to
use the land for agricultural purposes.
Now, this is a subject Of great impor-
tance, for, as AIr. Cook well says, such
windbreaks are not only a protection to
man and beast, but to the growing
crops, and | am sure it cannot receive
too much attention until we see an
abundance OF trees (the most noble of
all the products of the soi) planted in
rows, groves and belts, adding beauty
to the landscape, comfort to its inhab-
itants, and many times the cost of their
planting to every farm adorned with
them. The planting of a fruit orchard
near the dwelling seems to be the most
feasible plan for such protection, but it
is found to be of great advantage to the
orchard itself to have q similar shield,
SO much so that would advocate wind
breaks for orchards, as well as tor
chards for Windbreaks."
The first that l can remember of
fruit-growing was that all fruit trees
| grew thrifty and yielded abundantly,
| especially the peach, which seldom
| failed then to give more fruit than
could be used. At that time so much
of the native forest was standing un-
! disturbed, that none of these orchards
needed any other protection, but as the
country became older and more of the
native forests were removed, allowing
free sweep to the winter winds, then
the peach began to fail us, while none
of the other fruits seemed to do SO well
as formerly. But most of us had to
wait to learn by personal experience
what the trouble was and what would
be remedy, for we did not then have
the aid of an agricultural press by
which to learn from the experience
of others in similar cases. Soon, how
ever, it began to dawn upon our minds
that the fruit trees which were most
sheltered from the winds did much the
best, and abundant proofs of this are
seen now every year.
AS to the kind of windbreak for an
orchard prefer to make it 10y planting
rows of thrifty growing forest trees
along the windward or exposed sides of
the orchard, and intersperse them with
a plenty of avergreens, commonly our
native cedar. l would say, after using
a great variety of evergreens, that the
common native cedar, which grows
freely and spontaneously on the bord-
ers of swampy and low grounds, and
can be had for the digging, has done
the best with me, whether used for a
heavy and low evergreen screen, or
Windbreak or hedge when planted
alone. and it is decidedly the,best ever
green to use interspersed with dCcidu-
Gus trees. These cedars will head low,
50 as to shut out the wind for the space
between the ground and where the tall
er trees begin to head out, and these
large trees carry their tops SO much
higher than the orchard that all to-
gether will make quite practical wind
break. Ii there is only room for one
such row, the elm could be planted
quite near together, and is SO rank q
grower as to make 4 strong barrier.
But would sooner dispense with one
or two outside rows of the apple trees
to plant more forest trees instead; in
fact | have removed all the native for
est growth from my farm for it was
lett standing as it is on most old farms
HOW, Wituou6 any IeSdlu W IT'S SiNlu1
, any protection), and planted thousands
: OF Seeding forest trees. to grow in
groves and belts of timber for protect.
ing all parts of the farm, but especially
, about the building and the orchard.
feared winter before last that | had
rather overdone the thing, when the
snow accumulated so in my orchard, al
t the leeward of the timber growing fol
o windbreak, on the west side of it,
that only the very tops of the trees on
! that side of the orchard could be seen;
| but these trees had n very hetfy cror
: of fruit last year, and it has boen sug-
D gested to me that IL section OF country
about here comprising only few ccup
= ties, which were submerged under sc
5 heavy body and depth of snow as il
1 many cases to nearly bury fruit tree,
} in it, and also to keep the grount
> from freezing under them, were coun
, ties which gave tho best fruit crop thai
season. However that may be, thi.
: small county Of Genesee sold an apple
: crop that fall amounting to about hall
: n million dollars HemrV lees, in N. y
1ritaine.