Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-15
FOREST SERVICE MAY
SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS
STUDY WILL BE MADE IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Proper Adjustment Would Eliminate
Ruin of Crops by Hot Desert
Winds Sweeping South
in Spring

Proper adjustment would eliminate
ruin Of crops by hot desert winds
sweeping south in spring of the west
are well known. Blowing strongly
across the unobstructed plains, these
winds may in a few days blast all
hope of even a 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 north
ern prairie region the farmer is ex-
posed to the hot Chinook wind,
which sweeps down from the Canadian
mountains. This either dries out grow
ing crops or, if it prevails before the
danger of killing frosts is past, causes
loss through urging vegetation for
ward prematurely. Cold winter winds
also do great injury to crops, make
the climate more severe for stock and
men, and interfere with an even COW
ering 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 Mojave 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 pos
SCISSORS of highly valuable irrigated
land of the value of tree planting for
protection purposes.
Two Sides to Question
But there are two sides to the wind
L. --ff frva tic To-
ers declare positively that belts Of
Usage orange, for instance, are a
nuisance" Others cite figures to
show positive benefit. Morris Thomp-
son, who lives near Downs Kansas,
gives his yield of corn from a field
protected on the south by a row OF
tall cottonwoods as six bushels per
acre more than in places where there
is no protection. About fifteen acres
are benefited in this way. 1t is highly
improbable that the. windbreak oc-
cupies sufficient land to offset 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 every 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 away"
The forest service proposes to finC
out just when and how much wind
breaks increase the yield Of crops
To carry out the plans, much technica
work will be necessary. Instrument.
will be used to measure heat and cold
moisture and dryness, both above anC
below ground; to register the force o.
the wind near the windbreaks anC
some distance away; to measure Iigh
intensity, and take note Of the eff
fects of shade; to register frost a
different distances from the trees; an,
to keep account of the effect of tn
windbreaks on the snow which GOV
ers the ground to leeward in winter
Many other measurements and test
will be made, and elaborate data wi
be collected by experts who will hav
charge of the study.
Will Settle Dispute
Many disputed questions will thu
be settled and the data gathered wi
be placed at the disposal of the farm
ers who desire it. Doubtless rows c
trees between fields sometimes d
more harm than good, by castin
shade and abstracting water from tn
soil. Trees may also increase tn
danger from frost since the movemer
Of the air lessons that danger. TIL
forest service will study all sorts {
conditions, including the relative valu
of windbreaks, consisting of a singl
row Of trees, and shelterbelts, mad
up Of a number of such rows. A vino
break is usually planted for proteC
tion alone, a shelterbelt for both Pre-
lection and the growing of timber.
Corn will be the crop studied benin
the windbreak this year. Trustworth
conclusions can not be obtained /
comparing results from different crop
/ Each crop makes its own demand vi
on the soil, so that what would destrC