ccording to
reports from the central west and southwest sections they are of great
benefit and in some cases indispensable to apple growing. As would be
expected by any one who is acquainted with Minnesota, the planted
windbreaks are a more important factor in the prairie country than in
the natural wooded and hilly regions. In the southeast section, five
orchards were reported as protected by bluffs and hills, three by both
hills and natural woods, two by natural woods, two by both natural and
planted woods, and twenty-one by planted woods; in the central east
section, one by a hill and a planted windbreak, one by a town, fifteen
by natural timber, two by natural and planted timber, and nineteen by
planted windbreaks; in the northeast section, two by natural and four by
planted windbreaks; in the northwest section, three by natural and two
by planted windbreaks; in the west central section, one by a hill and
natural timber, five by natural timber, two by natural timber and
planted windbreaks, and eighteen by planted windbreaks; and in the
southwest section, one by a hill and natural woods, one by a hill and
planted windbreak, two by natural timber, and fifteen by planted
windbreaks. If Meeker County, which has natural timber, was not included
in the central west--and perhaps it should have been included in central
east--this section would have only one orchard protected alone by
natural timber; and if Blue Earth County was eliminated from the
southwest, this section would have no orchard protected alone by natural
timber.

The beneficial effects from windbreaks may be summed up as follows:
Twenty-five reported that they prevented fruit from being blown off
trees, nine that they prevented trees and limbs being broken by winds
and storms, ten that they protected trees from injury by winds without
specifying the kind of injury, four that they reduced injury from
frosts, ten that they either prevented or reduced winter injury, four
that they helped to retain moisture, five that they helped to hold snow,
eight that they prevented snow drifting, five that they protected
orchards from hot and dry winds, three that they permitted the growing
of apples, and one that they supplied all advantages.

The kinds of trees recommended for windbreaks and the methods of
planting are numerous and variable and to discuss them at length would
take too much time. However, the principal facts may be briefly
enumerated.

In eighty-five rep