The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-07-03
TGht gulfaster 6aseite
clTx 0f LANCASTER



s,ee Cause Of Dfouths aud Rseshrts.
ID Is plaiB 10 every observer that our
crnatfg Il nov more suhject TO drouths
,.sr rahan Il wa twenty or thirty years ago
Within the last Eve years we have safei'
I'd in this respec, seriously. The loss ii
the f4Fming community, aud through il
10 the whole population. has leon Eapy
millions Of dollars. II they tou,iuus frr
several years more in frequent succession
there is reason TO fear that the hard
q, times" will pass away very slowly. Is
stsahere any natural cause of drouhs or are
= they sent npon US srlsly as spe iai visi'
taiions Of Providence for our national
sinsi We would not epeak tightly o. suOh
xishatioUs, Tut We are incline, d TO think
thai our suffer ings ID this part cular may
be traced chi 1y to Our own bad mana !s'
mont. The wide destruction Of our for.
~ lcsls douhllsss has something to do With
ihs production Of dtoutlts, and Of those
JdeslIuetive foods or "iresbots" which
aFe:hecoming a'arminely fequent.
- 1.-THE couElry is widely d11udsd OF its
trees, The Land is more exposed to q o
butDihg rays OF the sun. and 10 Tho winds
wNhish eausc a very rapid rvapoTsion' -
Then, too, forest trees are no many pumps
10 suck up moisture from tie depths OF
the earth, aud 10 diTuse It thruugh their
ieaves into all the surrounding a,mos
phrre. Prom thence il falls upon The
eurfacs cf the ground. PNihsps rome
"a our readers bave amused themselves with
making estimates oi The amount Of water
evapora,od fom the leaves Of q single
Tree, aad then of q large fores. ia single
7sday. To one who has never thought
~@s bout it. ths subject is one Of great inter
q. sst. An readers Of history know thai
.maDv OF The rivers and streams Of he old
30 world, which onee we're wide and dep.
S-a hsve now shIutk iato much smsllrr di.
mensioos; from what rause. can any on'
e.. tell, il NOT that the hills and noun aims
q are ALMOST entirely bereft tress?--
~ Droults Ercsail all oyeI the Eastern 'on
tineDt, With increasing severity; and sci.
., ennfc and o. > rving men everywhere pro
claim that this is owing Chiefly TO the
cause Of Which wo now speak.
issa g VsIeys and low lpndsand fertile plains
should OF course be cleared of trees and
4, - devoted TO farms and gardens, but at least
49, the rocky hills and mountains should no
be shorD Of their leafy boporS. Let the
%. trees stand saered from the desolatiDg TX.
= all along our hights TO break bs fury Of
% storms, aud to condebse and bring down
> Z ihs useful vapors oi the clouds upon our
hslds and into our springs and streams.
~ Itis high time that the older Stat. Of
The Union begun 10 move in this maticr,
a either regulating the destructi N VI the
ssv forests, or encouraging the growth Of now
as We believe that some wholesome laws
- touching this matter would both secure
= our boslerily good degree Of exception
- from dTouths.
- "a" All that individuals car do 10 Ills mat,
- ris to preserve their own forest land in
= ~ Just proportion; aud by uudsrdrainiug,
= thus despcnibg the soil, and giving II
1!Is spopgy character. render the land capsple
',' OF absorbing or tetaining as large quan-
a.. tity, as possible oi the water that falls up
y, on il. instead Of allowing largo portion
10 flow as Is now generally the ease.--A.
N ntsrican Agrieuitarist.