Show Shelter Belt Idea May a Be e Revived Because o of Drouth rout i Experience of Russia Proves Value of Trees TreesE T to bring about a E EFFORTS 1 resumption of planting in inthe inthe inthe the Great Plains area suspended through the action of the last congress may maybe maybe maybe be made as a result of the present present present pres pres- ent drouth which is reemphasizing reemphasizing reemphasizing re sizing the very great importance importance importance tance of evaporation rates in a aland aland aland land where water often passes from earth to air three times as fast as it falls from air to earth In this connection the experience of Russia which has extensive shel shel- ter-belt ter plantings in regions comparable comparable comparable com- com parable to our West may be of interest are an old story in that country They were begun extensively durIng during during dur dur- ing the days of ot the czarist government government government govern govern- ment and have been continued and greatly enlarged Reduce Evaporation V. V chief chic collaborator of ot the department o of Forest Culture and Forest Melioration Melioration Melio Mello- ration of the U. U S. S S. S R R. has made madea a quantitative study of the effects of on evaporation rates of which a translation has been made for the Journal of Forestry by T. T In the steppe region Mr states the influence o of in reducing evaporation extends over a distance exceeding 60 times the he height o of the trees used at wind velocities of about bout six miles an hour With winds around twelve miles an hour the reducing evaporation-reducing effect of the trees is felt at distances distances dis- dis more than a 0 hundred bUndred times their height Built With Windows To take a concrete example a high foot of proper density would reduce evaporation in its lee to distances up to about a mile Rus Russian ian are built with windows In them Mr 1 states These are openings at experimentally experimentally ex- ex determined intervals Without them temperature differences differences differences differ differ- on the leeward side would tend end to be too great and there would also be a of upper and drier masses of air |