8 'Cbe Conservative *
The corn grew taller and remained
much greener throughout the season ,
while the north portion of the field pre
sented many dry tassels and undevel
oped ears.
On the South Pascoe corn fields the
beneficial effect of the shelter of the
grove is noticeable for at least one hun
dred yards to the north , but this is
largely offset by the fact that' ten to
twelve rows of corn next the grove are
badly dwarfed by the shade of the tall
oottonwoods. An excellent little grove
is that on Division G , consisting of
young catalpas and a close row of wil
lows. The beneficial effects upon the
corn to the north are quite noticeable
almost to the ditch , a distance of about
two hundred yards.
The first thirty to forty rows of corn
on the soutli of the Dailey are strikingly
better than any other portion of the
Held , although the soiHs practically the
same , and the good effect of the shelter
is noticeable almost half way across the
Held.
The only place where a beneficial
effect upon a beet field could be detect
ed was upon the Wisuer immediately to
the north of the grove at the south-east
corner of the field.
As the main consideration with us
here in Nebraska is to minimize the
devastating effects of the hot south
winds which generally prevail during a
dry time , the one great purpose of our
tree plantations should be to check the
force of these winds and as fur as pos
sible keep them off our fields. Bearing
this in mind , three points the form ,
condition and position of the planta
tions were kept in view throughout
the observations and their relative
effects carefully noted. These three
points were found to be of the greatest
importance in determining the extent of
the beneficial effects produced.
Tall trees , sxioh as those of the Pascoe
grove and the rows about the Horse
Pasture , seem to be of doubtful benefit
in that the good they do is largely off
set by the amount of shade they pro
duce , and having long clean trunks the
wind sweeps over the ground almost
unobstructed. Low , spreading trees ,
such as the "willows on North Mills and
the small grove on Division G are al
most ideal shelters. Their growth is
quite close right down to the ground
and they are not tall enough to keep
sunlight from the crops near by.
As regards position , only those groves
and tree rows situated to the south of
fields were observed to be of any benefit
as shelters , and this will be found to be
the cose in almost any season of drouth ,
as the only winds to be feared at such
times come from a southerly direction.
Large groves will check and cool off
winds to a very considerable extent
even though they are trimmed high and
comparatively clear and open , but
single or double rows of trees must be
quite dense from the ground up if they
are to be of any material benefit.
From the foregoing observations it is
very apparent that what is wanted to
protect crops is not so much large
square groves , but rather close rows of
small trees extending east and west
along the south of fields and trimmed
so as to present the shape of an inverted
"V" when viewed from the end. Such
rows will offer the greatest resistance to
winds and cast the least amount of
shade upon the crops growing along
side.
side.The
The amount of room taken up and
the shading done by tree rows between
fields is a matter of considerable import
ance and may largely offset their benefi
cial effects as windbreaks.
Respectfully submitted ,
A. T. WIANCKO ,
Experimentalist.
August 29 , 1901.
PRAYERS.
EDITOR CONSERVATIVE :
Ever since THE CONSERVATIVE made
its debut I have read with renewed in
terest its columns each week. In fact
now I inquire as anxiously as the male
side of the house , ' 'has THE CONSERVA
TIVE come ? " It is positively a treat in this
age of wire pulling and political mach
inations to now and then be intro
duced to a thoroughly independent jour
nal where political , economic and socio
logical questions are discussed without
any candidate to "boost" or political axe
to grind. I repeat that it is refreshing
refreshing on account of its rarity. I
was somewhat surprised when your
journal launched upon the religious sea ,
for my observation corroborates my ex
perience that of all seas that of religion
is the most tempestuous. The time was
when I kept close to shore , but for the
last few years I have literally followed
the words of the Master to His disciple
"Launch out into the deep. "
But I cannot say that in every instance
I have verified the statement' 'And ye
shall catch a full draught of fishes. " On
many , many voyages I have been thank
ful that the waves did not engulf me. Al
though weather-beaten I have been hap
py to get back to shore where I could
bask Tipon the dry sands and recover my
senses !
Prayer the efficacy of prayer should
we pray for rain , are subjects that have
evoked discussion in your columns of
late. With all respect to the various
writers I have been much edified , more
perplexed and most amused by the the
ories propounded. As you have asked
for opinions on the matter , I take it for
granted that you will not deem it egotist
ical for me to come to class meeting and
give in my experience.
As the question has shaped itself one
does not have to doubt the efficacy of
true prayer in order to doubt the efficacy
of the prayer for rain. My experience
is that they are not parallel cases. Still
the term prayer in its general sense is
such a sacred subject , if my own child
told mo that to pray for rain uplifted his
spiritual perceptions and expanded his
conceptions of God , I would not dare be
so unwise as to discourage the exercise.
I would no more pray for rain than I
would for sunshine or for a storm to
cease or for an earthquake to alter its
vibrations. Every child is taught the
journey of a drop of water from '
the sea back to the sea again.
I do not doubt that by concussion
where the atmospheric conditions are
disturbed a sudden rush of water might
be brought together and of necessity be
precipitated. To wish for rain , to
sincerely desire the sunshine to come out
is all the form of prayer that I could en
tertain on that subject.
But would not that be a selfish prayer
for in a certain sense prayer is the sin
cere desire of the heart. Like Hagar of
old I might be a wanderer into the des
ert and so consumed by heat as to agon
ize for water. I surely would not expect
to look around and find a flask of the
liquid. So in praying for rain L would
do violence to my reason and my knowl
edge of God to be found in any congre
gation assembled to invoke some per
sonal being enthroned on a misty shrine
somewhere in the sky , thereby believing
that I could wheedle Him into disturbing
the elements of His Universe so as to
send rain on the corn in Nebraska.
I have seen vast fields of rice in North
and South Carolina submerged until the
harvest was useless. No one prayed for
the rain to cease. I thoroughly believe
in prayer if by thought-meditation , the
sincere desire of the soul , we mean
prayer. Anything that could come
within the scope of mentality I should
not feel an unanswerable prayer it
might be unreasonable and even evil.
Anyone who is at all familiar with
the fundamentals of psychology knows
full well that thought is power and that
thought always answers its own prayer
as every effect follows a cause. Except
by a mad-man no rash act is performed.
Every noble deed , every dastardly deed
is but the natural outcome of thought.
It may take weeks or years for consum
mation. Thought is the builder of char
acter , the architect of destiny. One
can well understand why the exalted
Christ waited thirty years before accom
plishing His great mission. In the sense
of mind , I would meditate upon , sin
cerely desire to affect one whom I loved
and would expect an answer. While I
do not accept the tenets of Christian
Science I prove daily that their funda
mental principle is true to me , that
mind possesses a wonderful power over
the body. If it had not been for this
truth physical suffering would have
been my earthly portion.
When God is regarded as Supreme
Intelligence , the All Mind , with Him all
