East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-06-27
GOVERNMENT WILL TEST
VALUE OF SHELTER
Corn VIII BE Given First Trial and
Later Other Grains VIII BE Taken
Up to See If Windbreaks Aid I'm
Making Large Crops - Fourteen
Western States VIII Be Covered.

has been undertaken over wide re-
gion under one plan, for the purpose
of collecting data for the benefit of
the agriculturists who are developing
the western plains. At present wind
breaks are planted haphazzard, one
kind here, another there. II one kind
is better than another, the govern
ment experts think that fact ought to
be known, and II is believed that the
study about to be undertaken will set
tie the question once for all. 1t will
at least collect such facts never be-
fore brought together.
TIE work will be done by the Uni
ted States forest service. In some
states the agricultural experiment
stations. will cooperate in the studies,
and in these cases the forest service
will provide the necessary apparatus,
and the other expenses will be shared
half and half by the government and
experiment stations. The investiga-
tions will be taken up 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, Colorado, Okla
homa and Kansas. The fifth will be
either Minnesota, North Dakota or
Iowa. Ultimately the investigations
will cover Minnesota, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, New
Mexico. Utah, California, Washing
ton and Idaho.
Prevent Hot Wind Damage.
The sudden ruin that hot winds
some times bring to growing crops in
parts of the west are well known.
Blowing strongly across the unob-
structed plains, these winds may in
q few days blast all hope of even a
partial harvest. This is particularly
true in the lower portion of the CEN
tral plains region, and in years of
low rainfall. Here the
winds most TO be feared are from
the southwest or south. In the north
ern prairie region the farmer is eX-
posed to the hot Chinook" wind,
which sweeps down from the Cana
dian mountains. This either dries
out growing crops, or If 1t prevails
before the danger of killing frosts is
past causes loss through urging vege- !
tation forward prematurely Cold |
winter winds also do great injury to .
crops, make the climate more severe .
FOR stock and men, and interfere with
IN even covering of snow upon the
ground. This is true from Canada
almost to the Gulf.
In southern California, dry winds
rom the north and northeast sweep
Town from the Mohave desert with
results Coming in June.
hese winds may reduce the wheat 4
'ield of unprotected fields to almost
lothing. Windbreaks of eucalyptus
md Monterey cypress, now in such
Common use to protect orange groves
nd orchards. long ago convinced pos
essors of highly valuable irrigated
and of the value of tree-planting for
purposes.
TWO Sides TO question.
But there are two sides to the
'indbreak question. Some prairie
armers declare positively that belts
( Usage orange, for instance, are a
nuisance" Others cite figures to
how positive benefit. Mr.. Morris
thompson, who lives near Downs,
gives his yield of corn from
field protected on the south by a
ow of tall cottonwoods as six BUSH
Is per acre more than in places
here there is no protection. About .
5 acres are benefited in this way. It
J highly improbable that the wind
reak occupies sufficient land to Off
et this benefit.
An Illinois farmer sums up his
bservations upon this matter thus
My experience is that now, in cold
nd stormy winters, wheat protected
y timber belts yield full crops, while
elds not protected yield only one
lird of a crop. Twenty-Five or thir-
: years ago we never had any wheat
illed by winter frosts, and every year
full crop of peaches, which is now
ire. AT that time we had plenty of
mber around our fields and orchards
ow cleared away"
Forest Service TO Investigate.
The forest service proposes to find
1T just when and how much wind
'eaks increase the yield of crops. To
TRY out the plans, much technical
ork Will be necessary. Instruments
Ill be used to measure heat and cold,
DISTURB and dryness, both above and
'low ground; to register the force of
e wind near the windbreaks and
me distance away; to measure light
tensity, and take note of the effects
shade; to register frost at differ
It distances from the trees; and to
'ep account of the effect of the
lndbreaks on the snow which covers
e ground to leward in winter. Many
her measurements and tests will be
ade, and elaborate data will be coll
cted by experts who will have
large of the study
Much disputed questions will thus
settled and the data gathered will
} placed at the disposal of the farm
s who desire 1t. Doubtless rows of
ees between fields sometimes do
ore harm than good, by casting
ade and abstracting water from the
II. Trees may also increase the
niger from frost. since the move-
ent Of the air lessons that danger.
ne frost service will study all sorts