True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-02-15
Influence Of Forests on Climates.

I S'3~N W" 'NN SAAHi''eS ~ cOoV'NASN 6'VNPS
of forest trees. Any one who has Travelled
across au open prairie in cold, clustering
winter weather, and then through well.
wooded region, can not have failed to dis
cover the difference. The most disagreea.
bic feature, both to man and beast, in oul
northern climate, is cold, cutting winds
and where their fury is unbroken, as in
treeless or prairie regions, no living thing
can resist them. The most hardy of oul
domestic animals will seek shelter, if within
their reach, and, like drowning men, who
seize the most frail support, they may often
be seen clustering around solitary tree, a
fence corner, or wherever they can discov-
er even the appearance of shelter. Men
might learn from this, if not from their own
feelings, how grateful is the shade and
shelter Of trees, and how important it is to
preserve and cultivate them.
1t is not well known that the climate of
all those portions of the country once well
wooded but now in great measure cleared,
is greatly changed for the worse. In Gen.
trail New York, Peaches were grown sue
cessfully for the first twenty years or so
after the settlement of the country; now
they fail entirely. We have less snow,
more severe cold winds, and winter wheat
and other such crops are much more I'm
certain than formerly. Our summers, al
so, are marked by extremes of heat and
drouth to far greater extent. Very much
of this change is unquestionably owing to
the absence of the extensive forests that for.
merly covered a large portion of the coun,
try; and we shall feel it yet worse than
now, unless the existing remnants of them
be carefully managed.
Not long ago, We saw it stated in q
French journal, that the population of Ger.
tail. districts had made application to the
government, toad in establishing planta.
tions of trees, as the cutting down of the
forests had so affected their climate as tc
render cultivation difficult and improbable
Now, if forests or plantations of trees
exercises such modifying influences upon
climate, should not every man who cult.
Yates the soil, take lively interest in pre-.
serving them, and even in creating them
where none or too scanty supply exists al
present? Nextto the soil itself, the climate
is the most important consideration to ag
riculture and horticulture. 1t is the sub
ject Of continual apprehension and remark
The dread of intense cold, excessive heal
or dryness, high winds, &C., haunt the anx.
ious cultivator from one end of the year tc
the other; and in the most favorable sea
sons, he can not hope to escape withou
loss. Look back to the winter of 1856;
and '54, and to last summer. Who coulc
estimate the total loss from extremes O
cold and drouth in that single season? W.
hope that in these days of improvement
when everything pertaining to the rura
arts is undergoing an intelligent scrutiny
that the climate influence of trees will no
be overlooked We have little hope o
reaching directly, with one word of warn
ing, very large number of those VIII
WELD the destinies of the woods, but W,
hope our readers will become missionarie
in this cause, and do whatever lies in thei
power to stay the axe.-Horticulwist.