Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-05-14
THE GROWTH OF FORESTS
BY VIM. Fl. HARRISON.

/ BY VIM. Fl. HARRISON.
The process by which nature restore.
the forest to its original state, after being
once cleared. is extremely slow. In ou
rich lands, it is, indeed. soon covered agar
with timber, but the character ofthe growtl
IS entirely different, and continues so, thro
many generations Of men. In several pla
ces on the Ohio, particularly upon the farm
which l occupy, clearings were made ir
the first settlement, abandoned, and SUI
Tered to grow up. Some of them now t.
be seen. of nearly fifty years growth, have
made so little progress towards attaining
the appearance ofthe Immediately contieu.
Gus forest, as to induce any man of refec-
ton, to determine, that at least ten times
nifty years, would be necessary before its
complete assimilation could be effected. -
The sites ofthe ancient works on the Ohio.
present precisely the same appearance as
the circumjacent forest You find on them
all that beautiful variety of trees which
give such unrivalled richness to our forests.
This Is particularly the case, in the fifteen
acres included within the walls of the
work. at the mouth of the Great Miami,
and the relative proportions ofthe different
kinds of timber, are about the same. The
first growth, on the same kind of land once
cleared, and then abandoned TO nature. on
the contary, is more homogeneous-often
stinted 10 one, or two, or, at most, three
kinds of timber. 1.-THE ground had been
cultivated, yellow locust, in many places,
will spring up as thick as garden peas. II
it has not been cultivated, the black and
white walnut will be the prevailing growth
The rapidly with which these trees grow
for time, smothers the attempt of other
kinds to yegetate and grow in their shade.
The more thrifty individuals soon overtop
the weaker of their own kind, which siok-
en- and die In this way there is only as many
left as the earth will well support TO ma
turity. All this time the squirrels may
plant the seed Of those trees which serve
them for food, and by neglect suffer them
to remain-it will be in vain; the birds NAV
drop the kernels. the external pulp ofwhich
have contributed to their nourishment, and
Invested Of which, they are in the best state
for terminating, still it will be of no avail; ;
the winds Of heaven may wait the winged
seeds OF the sycamore, cotton wood and
maple, and friendly shower may bury
them to the necessary depth in the loose
and fertile soil-but still without success.
The roots below rob them of moisture, and
the canopy of limbs and leaves above, in
tercept the rays of the sun, and the dews
of heaven: the young giants in possession,
like an another kind of arstocracy, absorb
the whole means Of substance, and leave
the mass TO perish at their feet. This
state of things will not, however, always
continue. 1.-THE process Of nature is slow
and circuitous, in putting usurpation, and
establishing the equality which she loves,
and which is the geat characteristic of her
principal. The preference of soil for the
first growth, ceases with its maturity. 1t
admits OF no succession, upon the princi-
plies of legitimacy. The long undisputed
masters of the forest may be thin-and by
the lightning the tempest, or by disease
peculiar to themselves, and Whenever this
is the case, one of the oft rejected of anoth-
er family, will find between its decaying
roots, shelter and appropriate food; and
springing into vigorous growth, will soon
push its green foliage to the skies, through
the decayed and whitening limbs of it's
blasted and dying adversary. The soil it,
self, yielding it more liberal support than
any action from the former occupant. Ii
will easily be conceived what length of
time it will require for denuded tract of
land, by process SO slow, again to clo,he
itself with the amazing variety of foliage
which is the characteristic of the forests
of this region. Of what immense age
then. must be those works, SO often refer
red to, covered, as has been supposed by
those who have the best opportunity of ex-
aiming them, with the second growth after
the ancient forest state has been regained.