The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-01-30
Correspondents OF the P. c. Adveuiser
Concerning Botany. DrOughf- md Wild
A.scs-A Thought for the Legislature.

1t is related of the young ladies OF the South
Hadley Seminary, that they once became SO zeal0us
in Botanical researches, as 10 entirely exterminate
some species of plants from that region, and that they
had 1T length to lie restrained By stringent regula-
tons. We have q set of Botanists in our islands,
who are even more jealous than they, and who seem
likely, like the Israelites ia Gilboah, to lick up every
green thing from the face Of the earth. No place,
not even the perilous declivities of the mountain sides,
escape their researches, as they gather up that green
robe that adorns our scenery and protects our climate.
The same thing is true now Of them, as was true IN
Jobs day. of the " wild ass. Of the wilderness" they
search out every green thing"
1t is becoming an importau: question whether we
shall restrain these botanical proclivities, or suffer
our climate 10 become more and more dry, till We
shall have a drought. like that of the days of Ahab
and Elijah. The effect OF removing the vegetation
from q country ought to be understood more gener-
ally. When a country is deprived Of its herbaceous
plants and grasses and forests, the springs and rivu-
lets are exhausted, and the climate becomes warmer
and drier. This is the reason why the climate OF
ancient England aud Germany, at the time of the
Roman Emperor Crsar, resembled that which Sweden
now possesses. So also the climate of Greece, IN
Houer's time. was like that of Modern Germany,
which now produces the orange and the grape. The
removal Of the forests in Finland has dried up Its
swamps and rendered its climate milder. No coun-
try in the world was formerly more healthy or more
richly cultivated than Italy, once the garden OF the
world, :" now an extensive moraSs. The woods nave
been removed from the mountains. The Appenines
are at present almost entirely denuded OF the noble
forests which once protected their sides. The power
of the rain, no longer broken by the millions OF leaves
and by the grassy mantle. has torn the loose soil from
the mountain sides, rendering them more bare anu
desolate, and at the same time has made the country
below unhealthy by the decomposition of animal and
vegetable matter ii stagnant swamps. All travellers
agree that there is now no country so sorrowtul as
that which is included in the States OF the church
\ Journey amongst the forests of ThuringIa and
the Hartz Mountains would also furnish innumerable
illustrations of the same truth. King Frederick
William of Prussia once wanted money; and one OF
his noblemen promised to secure if for him without
loan or tax, it he would permit the forests TO be re-
moved. lie cOnsented; and the ~nobleman, by cut
ting down the woods, brought him two hundred
thousand thalers. Now the people would give mil
lions to have the woods back again. The sea WINDS
sweep unimpeded over the denuded hills, and the
Frische-Haf is already half filled with sand Inc
Turks, although a semt-civiIized people seem 10 oe
aware of the beneficial influence OF forests mere IS
to day in the neighbOrhood of Constantinopie, a
splendid woods of the finest beech and oak, which IS
protected by law, because it feeds a spring, the water
of which supplies the whole city.
At this time, when we are looking to the progress
of Agriculture for a revival of that prosperity when
we have lost i'll the decline of the Whaling Bust
ness, we need to consider everything, that has any
influence on the climate of the country Ana not
only is the climate to be considered. Many a petty
farmer is discouraged by the necessity OF fencing IN
all his land. Instead of the graziers making fences
and the farmers being free, the farmers are required
TO make fences, aud the cattle and horses range free.
And these animals, that are SO indefatigable In re-
searches in our fora. are becoming so innumerabie
and have so degenera;ed, that they cannot be sold
for enough to recompense the farmer, often not lar
enough to pay the tax of a dollar a head; We hear ire
uuently of horses being sold at auction for a hdPd-
tcaIu a piece; we heard not long ago of one being
sold for a dog and another for a squid. There is
evidently a conflict between the interest of the farmer
and the interest of the grazier. Which shall we favor
Shall we become n nomadic or an agricultural people
1t will be the duty of the coming Legislature to
investigate this subject, and devise wise measures for
protecting the interests of Agriculture. 1t might be
well to impose a tax of n dollar ahead on all animals
that are not pastured in fenced enclosures, and to use
that tax in building fences for the public good.
BARZILLIAI.