Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-06-15
President Worst Of Agriculture
College Has New Idea
IN View
Soil and Weather Conditions
Would Be N Materially In
proved by Trees
Innovation Would Mean U1;
told Millions Of Dollars
to Dakota Farmers

commencing at the South Dakota
line" said DR.. J. H. Worst, president
of the North Dakota agricultural COL
lege, and prominently mentioned as
Wilson's successor as secretary Of
agriculture, II would plant row Of
willow trees clear across the state
IF North Dakota, from the eastern
border line to the western. One
mile north I would plant another row
Of trees that would extend across the
entire state. Another mile north l
would plant another row of trees,
and so on and so on to the northern
boundary, row of trees every mile,
stretching from the Minnesota line to
Montana. I am now planning upon
having a bill introduced in the next
legislature making it compulsory that
Ian owners plant these trees. The
good that would accrue would be in
calculable, and the wealth Of the
state would be increased many fold.
Simply as wind break these
trees would do an immense amount
of good. We have few, If any, straight
east or west winds in North Dakota.
Most of our winds are from the north
or south, the northwest or the south
east When the wind would sweep
along, either from South Dakota on
on the south, or across the Canadian
prairies on the north, and would
strike the first row OF trees, it would
have to hurdle it, and expend great
part of its forces. Before any wind,
no matter what its velocity, would
have hurdled: six or eight Of these
trees, it would be reduced to mere
summer breeze. :.
"The great trouble ip North Dako-
ia experienced by those who have not
applied dry farming methods to their
farms, who have not attempted to
conserve the moisture in the soil, has
been from drouth. Hot July winds
have largely been responsible for
this drouta. North Dakota is semi
arid region. Its annual rainfall Is
less than 20 inches. It has been dem
onstrated by actual observation that
in single day blistering wind has
absorbed from the earth 113 tons of
water per acre. That is the weight
Of the moisture per acre per inch
deep, and within twenty-four hours
there have been times SO when the
earth has dried down to a depth of
at least on inch. These rows of trees
that I am advocating would be pow
erful factors in retaining moisture In
the soil.
I'm some sections of the state
where dry farming has been expert
mented with there have been cases
reported where the dust blanket pre-
pared by one farmer has been blown
to the land of an adjacent farm.
These rows of trees would prevent
the dust and the dirt, attendant up.
on frequent cultivation of the soil,
from drifting from one farm to an.
other.
'Weed seeds would be prevented
from spreading from one section to
another. The weed evil is one Of the
problems all farmers must combat,
and nothing is more discouraging to
a tiller of the soil than to have the
farm he has so carefully cultivated
become contaminated by weeds
SpTluSluS up lIOm SScV ColI1Cu " LAO
land from adjoining acres.
'"The leaves OF the trees would
kee., throwing OF n o'slu-e and thus
nal. the air T:r- '.r!d. lie
greater the humidity of the air the
less evaporation Of moisture from the
ground, and thus the soil would be
in a better condition. The leaves
would have cooling effect upon the
atmosphere as we'll, by reason Of
their dissemination of moisture.
Il would rather have bill like this
go through the house than to have
eretced over my grave monument
higher than that of Washington. No
man could wish for a higher mopu-
ment than the knowledge that he had
been instrumental in assuring the
planting of these trees in North Da-
kota. They would be worth untold
millions of dollars to the farmers OF
this state, and would be beautiful as
we'll as beneficial"
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