Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-06-20
SCIENTIFIC TREE PLANTING
FOR BENEFIT Of FARMERS
Study and Use of Timber Wndbeaks in the Agricultural Sec
tonS of the Western StateS-Work Is To Be Done BY
Experts From the Forest Service Of the United
States Government.

break question. Some prairie farm
ers declare positively that belts -
Usage orange, for instance, are Ia
nuisance" Others cite figures TO
show positive benefit Mr. Morris
Thompson, who lives near Downs,
Kansas, gives his yield of corn from
field protected on the south by
row of tall cottonwood at six bushels
per acre more than in places where
there is no protection. About fif-
teen acres are benefited in this way
1t is highly improbable that the wind
break occupies sufficient land to Off
set this benefit :
An Illinois farmer sums up his OBJ
servations 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 a crop. Twenty-Five or
thirty years ago we never had any
wheat killed by winter frosts, and ev-
cry year a full crop Of peaches,
which is now rare At that time We
had plenty of timber around our
fields and orchards, now cleared
awas.'
The forest service proposes to find
cut Just when and how much wind
breaks increase the yield OF crops.
To carry out the plans, much techni-
cal work will be necessary. Instru-
ments will be used TO measure hCot
and cold, moisture and dryness, both
above and below ground: to register
the force of the wind near the wind
breaks and some distance away; TO
measure light intensity, and take
note of the effects of shade: to reg
lister frost at different distances
from the trees; and to keep account
of the effect of the wind-breaks on
the snow which covers the ground
to ieeward in winter. Many other
, measurements and tests. will be
made. and elaborate data will be col
Iected by experts who viii have
charge of the study.
Many disputed questions will thus
be settled and the data gathered viii
be placed at the disposal of the far
mers who desire it. Doubtless rows
of trees between fields sometimes do
more harm than good, by casting
shade and abstracting water from the
soil. Trees may also increase the
danger from frosts. since the move
ment of the air lessons that danger
The forest service will study all
sorts of conditions. including the rel
Latiye value OF wind-breaks, consisting
of a single row of trees, and shelter
belts, made up of a number of such
rows. A wind-break is usually plant
ed for protection alone, shelter beii
for both protection and the growing
of timber.
Corn will be the crop studied be
hind the wind-break this year. Trust
worthy conclusions can not be OBJ
tanned by comparing results from
different crops Each crop makes its
own demand upon the soil, so that
what would destroy one might do lit
tie harm to another. Corn is a par
ticUlarly good crop to experiment
with because it is easily injured by
hot dry winds. will not stand saad
ing. and is very sensitive to frost.
| The instrument and apparatus for
each state will be read weekly by
persons assigned to that duty by the
/ 2 agricultural experiment station in
the respective states. The whole
| work will be in charge Of an expert
| for the forest service at Washington,
who will be assisted this summer by
| three or four persins, also from the
| forest service. who will study general
conditions in the states under inyes
tigation, in regard to the effects Of
wind-breaks on crops. Tie work will
continue until crops are gathered
| next fall, when the actual yieid Of
sheltered fields will be measured
and results compare d vita nearha
unsheitered fields. Some of the oh
J iservations will continue through the
| winter.
1t is expected that the results will
be published botn by the forest ser
vice and by the experiment stations
which cooperate in carrying out the
| work.