The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-06-19
To Study Shcltcrbclts.

washington, June .1S.-Un1le
Sans tree planting and farm ex-
perts have just undertaken a prac-
tical and scientific study of the use
and effect of timber windbreaks and
shelterbelts in the agricultural re-
gions of fourteen western states.
This is the first time in this country
that the study of this much discussed
question has been undertaken over a
wide region under one plan, for the
purpose of collecting data for the
benefit of the agriculturists who
are developing the western plains.
AT present windbreaks are planted
haphazard, one kind here, another
Their If one kind is better than
another, the government experts
think that fact ought to be known,
and it is believed that the study
about to be undertaken will settle
the question once for all. 1t will at
least collect such facts never before
brought together
The work will be done by the Uni
ted States Forest Service. In some
states the agricultural experiment
stations will cooperate in the stud
les, and in these cases the Forest
Service will provide the necessary
apparatus, and other expenses will
be shared half and half by the gov
eminent and experiment stations.
The Investigations will be taken ID
in five states this year and extended
to the other nine as rapidly as the
Investigations are completed. Four
Of the states in which the study will
be made this year are Nebraska, Col
orado, Oklahoma and Kansas. The
fifth will be either Minnesota, North
Dakota or Iowa. Ultimately the
Investigations will cover Minnesota,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Ne
braska Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma,
Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Utah,
California, Washington and Idaho.
THE suden ruin that hot winds
sometimes bring to growing crops in
parts of the west are well known.
blowing strongly across unbroken
plains, these winds may in a few
days blast all hope of even partial
harvest. This is particularly in the
lower portion of the central plains
region, and in years of unusually low
rainfall. Here the winds most to
be feared blow from the southwest
or south. In the northern prairie
region the former is exposed to the
hot Chinook" wind, which sweeps
down from the Canadian mountains.
This either dries out growing crops
or, If it prevails before the danger
of killing frosts is past, causes loss
through urging vegetation forward
prematurely. Cold winter winds also
do great injury to crops, make the
climate more severe for stock and
men, and interferes with an even
covering Of snow upon the ground.
This is true from Canada almost to
the Gulf.
In Southern California, dry winds
from the north and northeast sweep
down from the Moh"ve Desert with
destructive results. Coming in June
these winds may reduce the wheat
yield of unprotected fields to almost
nothin. Windbreaks of eucalyptus
and Monterey cypress, now in such
common use to protect orange grove
and orchard, long ago convinced po-
SCISSORS of highly valuable irrigated
land of the value of tree planting
for protection purposes.
But there are two sides to the
wind break question, Some prairie
farmers declare positively that belts
OF Usage orange, for instance, are
q nuisance" Others cite figures to
show positive benefit. Mr.. Morris
Thompson, who lives near Downs
Kansas, gives his yield OF corn from
q field protected on the south by a
row Of tall cottonwoods as six bush.
els per acre more than in places
where there Is no protection. About
fifteen acres are beneftted in this
way. It Is highly Improbable thai
the wina break ocCu pies sufiie;eaf,
land to Offset this benefit.
/ An Illinois farmer sums an his
&