Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-04-25
UARK-M'NARY
NURSERY AIDS
STATE FARMERS
2,5O0,0e0 TREES HAVE GONE 10
THEM SINCE 1928, FIGURES
REVEAL

REVEAL
From the Clark-McNary nursery ct
Montana State university to farmers
in So counties Of Montana have gone
2,500O00 trees since 1928 The yearly
average has been about 200 trees
sent to 200 different farmers.
Born out Of a law by the same name
which provided for federal cooper
alton with the states In furnishing
windbreak and shelterbeIt trees to
bona fide farmers, the nursery was
established at the university in 1924.
It's main objective, as stated by T. G.
Spaulding, dean and professor Of for
estry at the university, Is to assist the
farmer not only by protecting his soil,
but through preventing the evapora-
ton Of water from the soil to make
better watering places for his stock
and helping him to make the farm
home beautiful.
Prairies to Bloom
When the water, through the plant
ing Of evergreen and broadleaf trees
to form wfndbreaks and shelterbelts,
Is held in the ground, the farm wife
can attain success with any shrubs
and flowers she may plant. Instead Of
a barren, windswept prairie, visitors
to Montana may soon expect to see
a countryside Of green fields and at
tractive farm houses flanked by flow
ering shrubs. The shrubs, however, are
not provided by the nursery, since its
sole function is to supply farmers with
the trees to make Shelterbelts and
windbreaks.
In Montana, the procedure of OBJ
tanning the trees Is relatively simple.
Farmers who desire the trees may ap-
ply to a county agent, who relays
the order to E. e. Isaac, chief hortt-
cultllrist of the extension service at
Bozeman. From there the order Is
transferred to the nursery at Missoula, |
where it is filled and shipped out. |
Farmers may also apply for trees di-
rectly to the extension service, with I
out the aid of county agent.
Makes No Profit
Since there Is absolutely no profit
connected with the nursery, trees are
sold at cost to the farmer, who also
must pay for their transportation.
Evergreen trees are sold for 81 per 100
and broadleafs cost 80 cents per 100.
The federal government matches the
state dollar for dollar in all expenses
with the planting and care
Of the trees.
DR.. G. w. Waters, director Of the
states that orders begin COM
ing in about Feb. 1, while the shipping
season starts about April and lasts
two or three weeks About one-third
Of the orders are shipped by parcel
post and the remaining by express.
Shipping costs are borne by the farm
er to whom the order goes.
At the time of shipment, the ever
greens are from three to four years
old and stand from 8 to IL inches
high. Broadleafs may be shipped ct
the age Of one or two years. The two
types are mixed to form shelterbeIts
and are planted six or eight rows deep.
With the broadleafs on the outside and
he evergreens in the sheltered inner I
position OF the shed-roof shaped belt. {
Water Conserved
The belts are used to break the 7
'orce Of the wind and to form snow y
:atchments which viii prevent water I
rom melted snow running off and s
'ermit the ground TO retain it. 9
During the rush season the nursery :
FINISHES a source of employment to !
many university students who need
he work TO enable them TO attend
chool. The majority of these students :
re forestry majors, but they need not :
be that to receive employ :,
1ent. y
The running Of the nursery on a 4
urely cost, nonprofit basis has been d
made possible largely through the as d
Stance Of government agencies such I,
S the WPA, the United States forest b
ervice and the United States soil n,
observation service. \
The nursery Is part Of the Montana n
orest and soil conservation expert
lent station and also part of the Il
school Of forestry. 1t is ri
nder the direction Of c. w. Waters, q
rofesSor Of botany and forestry at al
re university. @. v. Muhlick is nur- I'll
Try manager. e. E. Isaac, Bozeman, CT
as charge Of the extension service m
HIGH is located there.