The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-04-07
SHELTER-BELT FORESTS.
For q Level Country There Is no
Form OF Forest Planting, so Benc.
ficial In Everyway as the Shelter
belt SyStem

For q Lever Country Tnere ts no
Form OF Forest Planting, so Benc.
ficial In Evcryway as the Shelter.
belt system.
In clearing off the forest-in primitive
forest Jgions-a reservat ion Of the sec
ond growth trees, three or more rods
wide, on the margin of each 40 acre
tract, and the planting of similar belts
Of trees on the the four sides Of each
farm, and on tho margins OF the lakes,
streams, and encieut watvr .our.s1, "a
the prairie regions, will result in pro-
ducng the greatest beneficial climatic
notifications the maintenance and in
crease of the water supply, and an in
creased average yield Of all farm
crops.
The extent Of their results will be
proportiOned to the extent, the distri-
button, and the growth Of the trees COM
posing the shelter belt.
BY means of the shade afforded, by
such evenly distributed forests. the eyap-
oration from the sJil produced by the
suns rays will be lessened, and the me.
chanical resistance TO the winds afforded
by such belts of trees, will also reduce
the volume Of evaporation lin greater
degree, perhaps, than the quantity evap-
Grated by the heat afforded by the rays
Of the sun. While the resistance to
winds has tendency to lessen the de-
structive effects of violent storms upon
g-owlng crops.
Shelter-belt forests, will lessen the
drifting Of the soil in theS summer, and
the snow in the winter and make the
climate more endurable Ior man and
beast.
Such forests will more generally smod-
ify the extreme electrical conditions OF
treeless regions, for by smeans OF their
branches and foliage constantly acting as
silent conductors for the transmission Of
local surcsarged atmospheric electrical
cure nts, to the moist earth, penetrated
by the roots OF the trees.
Such shelter-bet forests, cool, and
condense atmospheric moisture. and if
not directly increasing the deposit Of
dew, and the volume Of rainfall, the
| cooling Of the atmosphere red ices its
capacity for absorption OF moist
nre and therefore lessons the
evaporations of moisture from the soil.
And thus increasing The continuance Of
| the water supply in the soil to he evap-
DIdteu Ill tIlt idte Wntu
the rain fall is usually the least, and
when atmospheric moisture is especial
| " needed to ensure the completion of
vegetable growth, and ensure the lar.
gest crop production.
| Such io-ms OF forest planting, because
OF this general distribution and protec-
ton afforded invites the early Spring,
| and prolongs their stay in tbs Autumn.
Shelter.belts afford the best possible
distribution Of shade, And thus re-
| tari the increase of the chinch-b bug,
! crasshorper. ami such other aericultu-
raj insect foes, as mu tiply and revel in
the sunshine OF hot, dry and shadeless
regions.
The products from the Trimmings of
| the shelter.belts will afford a constant
supply of timber suitable for many farm
| uses.
The shelter-belt form Of forest reser-
vation, and planting is, for these, and
MANY other cliinatical and economical
| reasons, the most beneficial, and profit.
able to the individual planter, as we'll az
the general public.
Such a form of Preserved, or planted for
est, require but little, il any more ex.
penditure of labor than the ordinary
group form, and makes the farm more
attractive and valuable, the value and
attractiveness increasing year by year in
proportion to the growth of the trees
composing the shelter belts,
EXPERIMENTAL FOREST FARM. {
Lake Preston, ID. II.