The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-18
The Planting Of Windbreaks
and Their Effects on Crops

i Every quarter section should have at
least five acres of growing trees and
ten would be better. When you have
your grove properly planted go out
away from 1t about $50 feet and put j n
a few rows of good willows, either the
white or the u. l., and by the way, il
you plant the l.. L., don't plant them
TOO close. About five by eight is all
right. This will tend to hold the snow
and YOU Will find no matter how hard.
the storm YOU yard lis never filed ND
with snow drifts. The willows hold it
lin this trap n you are saved a lot of
hard work saOveling. Now, perhaps,
many will say we cannot spare such a..
lot of land for trees. Let me tell you
something. That $50 feet will be the.
best paying piece of ground you have
on the farm. You will. find nc better
place anywhere for planting potatoes,
Lbeets, or any OF the root vegetables.
After you have your trees planted
start in cultiyating right away. Don't
wait until the weeds. have started
growing and taken away a lot OF sub
stance from the ground, which would
have gone towards giving the trees q
good start. The best time to cultivate
your trees is Immediately after it
rains. This will keep the ground from
baking and cracking and viii also re-
tain the moisture, which otherwise
would evaporate into the air. Al good
plan for the first two years is TO plant
a couple of rows of potatoes between
each row of trees. This will amply res
| pay YOU for the work you do and when
you cultivate your potatoes you culti-
vate the trees at the same time. Gull
tivate your ground vi to Aug. is, after,
which let u trees ripen up. IL you
l~cultfvate later than this 1t keeps YOU
trees growing and they are not In a fit
condition to stand the winter
The question is often asked, which
is the best to cultivate or to mulch2
We believe cultivation is the best by
all means, but If you cannot take the
time to cultivate after the first two
years give your trees a good mulch
and don't mulch only around the trees
but cover the ground between the rows
also. Mulch from ar old strawstack
is good and don't be stingy with 1t.
Now. there may be some here who
do not agree with me in this ~particu-.
lar, but / am speaking from expert
| ence and I've had excellent success
mulching this way.
Now, as to what effect ~windbreaks
have in regard to garden and field
crops, that is apparent on every hand.
as We know that many varieties OF
garden crops, both fruit and vegetables
which a few years ago were regarded
as impossible to raise here in this
state, have with the help OF the wind
break been found to do excellent. even
as far as the Canadian boundary, and
as to field crops, wherever the tree
planting has been general climatic
| conditions have been found to havesirn-
proved. especially as regards uniform
Iity OF. rainfall. But the greatest good
that the right kind of tree planting
could be made TO bring about has not
been accomplished as yet when that
great enemy of our wheat crops, name
lly the hot winds, have been made to.
yield, Their we have accomplished
something that North Dakota may
Ebe proud over and it is only a question
OF time. and short time at that, when
this win be accomplished, when the
theories advocated by our President
Worst Of the IA. g. become a fact. Yes,
and Ill add q law and Il hope that will
be soon and we may see a solid row
OF trees stretching acrOs the state
from the Red river on the east to the
Montana. boundary on the west, on the
south side of every section, the whole
length of the state clear to the Cana
dian boundary. Then you can bid de-
f~aiacesto that enemy OF the North Da-
kota farmer, I mean the hot winds
that Will cook al wheat crop in two or
three days, and when that time comes
aud these tree belts stretch their shell
tering arms across the state we Will
have the pleasure OF living in8xhe gar
den spot OfsthN universe