Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-03-06

AGRICCLTURAL.- OF FORESTS
Where will coming generations get their
supplies of timber How they will lament
the bleak and naked hills, and cry out
against us for dcspoiling them of their chief
beauty and leaving behind US few or no tra-
ces of our forest scenery, except''in the paint
ed landscapes in our parlors! 1t our forests
are so valuable now for timber and fuel,
will they not be still more so to the next
generation Rather let them be husbanded.
Let them be thinned out, but not utterly
demolished. A careful calculation shows
that sixty thousand acres of pine wood are
cut every year in the state of New York,
and that at this rate, in the year 1875,
these trees will have disappeared from this
part of the country. 1t is said, also, that
1.-THE produce of titled landslcarried to tide
water by the Erie Canal in one year amount
ed to SS,l70 900 worth of property; that of
farm stock for the same year is given at
So $3.50 900 that Of the forests, In lumber,
slaves, &C., at $4,770 600. Thus the forest
yielded more than the stock, and more than
hale as much as the farm lands" Shall we,
then, utterly and forever exhaust this source
of comfort and wealth Let us beware. lest
We kill the goose which lays such golden
eggs
Forest trees should be preserved also, for
their beneficial influence upon the climate
1t is universally conceded that the winters
OF the northern states are colder now than
they were thirty and forty years ago and
that the weather generally is more windy,
huctuatng and dsagreeabe. We have
greater extremes Of heat and cold, and
severer drouths. Peaches once grew in
abundance throughout Central New York
now, it is almost impossible to raise them.
The wheat and some other crops are more
uncertain. These things are ascribable not
80 much 10 any deterioration Of the soil, as
to the destruction Of our forests Formerly
our farms had belts of wood land, which
broke the force Of the winter and spring
winds our hlll-tUps were oovorod with bat.
talions of trees which defended the slopes
and wales. The snow was not blown of
from the tender grain crops in winter, mol
were the fields laid bare to the blighting
winds OF early spring.
One of the greatest drawbacks to farm
life on the western prairles is the absence
of forest trees. " WoUd for lumber and fue
rs scarce, and houses and lands are exposed
to the rake of mcrciless winds in winter
and spring almost every mail brings account
Of extreme suffering at the West, on til
open prairies To make those lands
paradise for the farmer, they need nothing
30 much as the kindly shelter Of woodlands
In conclusion, we earnestly plead wit
the farmer for a more considerate use of hi
woods. Remove old trees, butStCuch tn
young with a sparing head Clear up you
valleys, but do not strip bare the hill-tJp'
Leave groups and single trees here an
there in your pastures, both for the con
fort Of your focks and herds, and for IL
beauty of the landscape, Plant belts alon
the north and west lines of your grain iielC
and pi vnur hon For hn nurnnaa nc .hn
ter ,rgreen are best; but mingle with the
trees such rapid growing as the hrch, SCI
lettiowered maple, Dutch elm, Eastwood az
yellow locust. The time is coming wEC
they who exert themselves to save the rem
nant of our noble wood lands, and who pla
trees for the benefit of prosperity, will
considered wise men and publc beneiactor
lInM 10 MAKE Gnnn luEEsE.=Oll Anni