The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-06-20
THE FOREST SERVICE.
Government to Study Shelterbelts
For Benefit Of Farming Interest

For Benefit of Farming Interest.
Washington, June 1s.-Uncle
Sans tree planting and farm experts
have just undertaken a practical
and scientific study of the use and
effect of timber windbreaks and
shelterbelts in the agricultural reg
ion of fourteen western states. This
is the first time in this country that
| a study of this much discussed ques-
| tion 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 hap
hazard, one kind here another there.
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 brougt to-
gether.
The work will be done by the
United States Forest Service. In
some states the agricultural expert
ment stations will cooperate in the
studies, and in these cases the For
est Service will provide the neces
sary apparatus, an dthe other expen-
ses will be shared half and half by
the government and experiment sta
tons. The investigation will be taken
up in five states this year and ex-
tended 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, Colorado, Oklahoma and
Kansas. The fifth will be either Min
nesota, North Dakota or Iowa. I'll
timately the Investigations will cover
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Da
kota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Okla
homa, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico
Utah, California Washington and
Idaho.
The sudden ruin that hot winds
sometimes bring to growing crops in
parts of the West are well known
Blowing strongly across the unob
structed plains, these winds may
in a few days blast all hope of even
a partial harvest This is true
in the lower portion of the central
plains region, and in years of unus-
ually 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 1t prevails be-
fore the danger of killing frost is
past, cause loss through urging vege-
tation forward prematurely. Cold
winter winds also do great injury to
crops, making the climate more Sc
we're for stock and men, and inter-
fere 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 Mohave Desert with
destructive results. Coming in June,
these winds may reduce the wheat
yield of unprotected fields to almost
nothing Windbreaks of eucalyptus
and Monterey cypress now in such
common use to protect orange groves
and orchards, long ago convinced
the possessors of highly valuable ir-
rigated 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
nuisance, Others cite figures to
show positive benefit Mr. Morris
Thompson who lives near Downs,
INetlieelo, SiN'o MS glClu vi Col IL mum
a field protected on the south by
row of tall cottonwoods as six bu-
shells per acre more than in places
where there is no protection. About
fifteen acres are benefited in this
way. II is highly improbable that the
wind-break occupies sufficient land
TO Offset this benefit.
An Illinois farmer sums up his
observations upon this matter thus:
My experience is that now, in cold
and stormy winters. wheat protected
by timber belts yield full crops, while
fields not protected yield only one
third of crop. Twenty-Five or thirty
years ago we never had any wheat
killed by winter frosts, and every