Lower Sandusky freeman. (Lower Sandusky [i.e. Fremont, Ohio]) 1849-1849, 1849-04-21
LOWER sANDUsKY. APRIL 81, ls4o.

ing, raises the vapors high in the air, and propels
them towards the distant mountains. If the whole
Sahara, large enough for kingdoms, were at once
covered with the forests of America, can we doubt
that showers would form above them, that they
would be watered with dews, and become the
abodes of husbandmen, instead of retreats of the
wild and cruel rovers of the forest?
Extreme dryness of the air sometimes produses
dangerous diseases in the neighborhood of Quito
10 arrest their progress it is only necessary that
few showers should temper the brightness of the
sun. Nature has taken thought of all the physical
inconvenience of the region, and has covered the
valleys and the surrounding mountains with vast
forests From their fair bosom rise those grateful
dews which diffuse cooness throughout the air.
"Ihe vast prairie plains west of the Mississippi
are both hotter in summer and colder in winter
than the forest country east of that mighty stream
These pralrles experience rarer and more scanty
rains than the valleys that covered with trees
Over vast extents of them spread dry, sandy
deserts, like those of Arabia, where the traveller
wanders for days without seeing wood or water
In the days to come, when those plains shall be in
habited, the shepherd and husbandman will plant
trees, which will invoke the showers and call down
the rains and dews Liberty, aided by peace and
industry, will spread fertility the sands, and
exactly reverse that order of things which has con-
signed the once fertile envrons of Nineveh, Baby
lon, Tadmor, Jerusalem, Athens and Rome to ster-
ility and desolation.
"But these beautiful harmonies between the
earth and the skies extend further still. The de-
structon of certain trees the eradication of certain
plants is sufficient to destroy whole tribes of useful
insects birds and quadrupeds which feed upon
them, and with which their existence was identifi-
ed. A Dutch naturalist relates that an entire tribe
of cormorants made their nests and abode in the
thick forest of Sevenhuis the forest was cut down,
and the birds were exiled from the ancient trees
that sheltered them. They emigrated and estab-
lshed themselves on the sea-shore, where they now
build their nests among the reeds, offering, like
Venice, the singular spectacle of city built among
the waves.
"a celebrated modern traveller has remarked
similar result on the magnificent shore of Lorento,
near Rome This valley of the Tiber which, ac-
cording to Plinny, adorned with more palaces
than all the rest of the world not only presents at
this time mass of ruins, but it seems as if Nature
had ceased to be fertile and beautiful in proportion
as men have withdrawn from it. The domestic an
imals have disappeared with the shades under which
they formerly ruminated. Even the migrating birds
no longer light upon the desert shores. Yielding
to the mysterious indications of instinct they divine
the way to new countries which liberty, peace, and
industry have rendered dear to husbandmen; and
they are found in these few fields, demanding ma
ture's 1.-THE of the harvest 1t seems settled law
ferocous beings to retire, and should attract
those that are innocent and useful The benefits
of Nature follow him in his journey over the globe,
and abandons the places that lie abandons The
sky and the sea of Lorento preserve their serenity
and AZURE but the shores no longer cultivated
by proud and triumphant hands, Sadness and des-
olatien have gathered them and all that dwell
upon them seems Fastening to decay.
"The ancients, without doubt were acquainted
with these beautiful harmonies between the vege-
table kingdom and man. We cannot fail to admire
the profound wisdom of portions of their religious
institutions which were predicated upon these har
monies. Every forest contained sowething like an
oracle or temple, which inspired respect Every
tree beneath its rind, concealed nymph. Every
flower was animated by being of celestial origin,
who, instead of suffering death and decay, had
been changed to that beautiful form. Every spring
source had its Maids, and every grotto its ETHEREAL
inhabitant These sentiments stood as sentinels to
protect the sacreduess of the solitude, and to pre-
serve the free wdness of nature. The forests were
guarded against the proclamation of human avidity
by the presence of gods. Even the sages appar-
emily aware of their purpose, seemed torespeet and
adopt these useful superstitions. The grave Cato
prescribes the formula to be observed in cutting
down tree, and the pious invocation which should
be addressed to the divinity before striking the first
blow.
"The Persans, victims of pestilential maladies
which from their humid rice-plains, called to
their aid the balsamic plane-tree. There is no
contagion at Ispahan, says Ghardn, since the Per-
slams have ornamented their streets and gardens
with the plane-tree.' Here, then, is tree with
which nature has invoked us to shade and purify
our naked marshes.
"Who has not been inspired with regret in see
ing the hundreds of new villages that have sprung
up in the recently settled parts of our country, un
sheltered by tree or ayine, under the influence of
sun that.we may almost imagine pouring its rays
with more ferceness on the soil for having so long
excluded fromit The thousand remains of the
trees like the bones of the slain after battle, in
struct us how easily trees of shelter and shade
might have been spared at intervals. The climate
and soil alike invoke the inhabitants of these villa
ges to repair the ravages of their want of taste and
to health and comfort by planting the pain-tree, or
sycamore the supurb and odoriferous catalpa, the
deep green pride of China, the pecan alike useful
and beautiful and the cone-shaped sugar maple, so
exquisitely rich in its fading autumnal foliage. In
the south the orange and the fig tree should be ad-
ded, and the whole surmounted with the Isabella
grape, so abundant in deHciaus fruit so luxuriant
in beautiful foliage, and so easily cultivated. With
these would come bees, humming birds, the oriole,
cardinal, and mocking-birds, as invited guests"
EBONY CoNUNDRUMs.-Gumbo, procede to d-
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