The Cecil Whig., 1864-05-14
G;Icrt 4aljsrcI!auD.
Tia:; Gs.0HE AS CisiHaED BA
MAN.

instrumeuiaity. though at first sight they
may seem merely superficial and lew and
insignificant, are really quite important
agencies in the determination of its external
structure. Man $ hand is not seen only in
the substitution Of the cultivated EcI1 ior
the primitive forest. in the building of towns
and roads. and other obvious marks which
he leaves on the visible landscapc; through
his agency. also. the character q; the pro-
ductiuns Of the earth is changed climates
vary. the relation of hills and valleys, and
that of land aud water, are more or less
III ,dihtd.
Iiunan influences affect, in remarkable
degree, the nature, character, and distrbu-
tiol Of animal life. Accordingly as Il man
nurses OF attempts to destroy, the animate
races multiply or diminish and while some
have arrived at the highest perfection of
development. Others arc represented only by
rare individuals, leading precarlons exist
cnre; in few instances, species have been
wholly cXtiFpatcd from certain localities
Thus, the larger beasts Of prey have disap-
pe.,r.d from thc cultivated portions Of
EArope and the United States. The whale
and the beaver were, Il few years since, upon
thc verge of determination. Bat recently,
since other articles have been used as sub
stilutes for the products Of these animals.
they have increased, and begin again to he
quite abundant. Legislation is frequently
required to preserve from eSternrination
nnllnuls and birds Of value for their game,
un,( even of those which render services for
which we ran find no substitute, by destroy
Ing or preventing the multiplication of
nuNiuus vernin The excessive ravages
which insects have inflicted upon our grain
and truit crops for Il few years past, are
a,cribel by cu!tiva'ors to the destruction Of
the birds which formerly fed upon them and
restricted their mu tip i.alion.
Similar influences to those We have men
TONED are cXertc,l by man upon vegetation
Wherever he goes. the native plants tend to
Disappear and their places are supplied by
his cultivated crops, and the weeds which
follow in their train. Not one i'll ten Of the
plants which grow in the cultivated districts
indigenous to them. They have followed
nan across the ocean, and have kept up with
him as np has marched over the continent.
But the most notable aul serious modili
cations effected by mans agency, are those
caused by the destruction Of forests. The
cutting away of wood not only changes the
appearances Of the landscape, and the char.
acler Of the spot laid under the AK; when
rraciscl to Il large extent, It's effects extend
TO great distances perhaps over the whole
continent, and almost rcrolutionizc eli mates,
soils, and surfaces.
The forest retards evaporation, offers an
etiectual barrier to the wind. Its porous
soil and still move porous accumulation of
vegetable dcbriS, absorb and retain the
moisture, and its tangled masses of sticks
and roots restrain the fury Of torrents, and
prevent the devastation they might otherwise
occasion. From these circumstances, 1t il
ircctrom the extremes Of summer ana winter
temperature i acts as a constant condenser
oi'mosturc in the atmosphere, and promotes
frequent and copious showers. When the
forests are taken away, these conservative
elements go with them. The order and
character of The seasons are disturbed they
hecome more uncertain, the lines that
divide them become less distinct. Noah
Webster observed this fact III America even
before the commencement Of the present
century. Said he, in l-.9:
- From caroiul comparison Of facts, it
Il Il. l
in the | Cnited States, is more inconstant
than when the earth was covered with woods
a, the first settlement of Europeans in the
country that the warm weather Of autumn
cxtcndssurthcr into the winter months, and
the cold weather of winter and spring en-.
croaeaes upon the summer; that the wind
being more variable. snow is less permanent.
and perhaps the same remark may be appl.
cable to the ice of the rivers. These effects
seem to result necessarily from the grentcr
quantity OF heat accumulated heat in the
summer since the ground has been cleared
of wood and exposed to the rays of the sun.
and 10 the greater depth of frost in the earth
in winter by the exposure Of its uncovered
surface to the cold atmospheric
Experience since then has confirmed these
views. The case Is similar in sweden, Italy
and France, and perhaps in other portions
Of Europe. Ii is in the sheltered woods, and
not in the open fields, that we look for early
spring flowers.
1t is scarcely probable that the absolute
quantity of rain that falls during The year is
atieetcd, in temperate climates, by the pres,
Hnce or abcnce of forests, but there is no
doubt that wooded regions maintain more
uniform degree Of humidity, that they pro.
mote The frequency of showers, and cq,raizc
their distribution. Since tbs forests have
been cleared, our country has been much
more subject to atcrnutions OF rN osssiye
rains and continued droughts than before
Forest also promote the flow and pcrma,
nenee Of springs, streams, aud lakes. Mr.
Marsh, in his work on Ntn ami .Nuimrs
cites great number Of examples of naysa
bile rivers that have become DISTRACTED, mill
Streams that no longer have power to drive
machinery, lakes whose waters have fallen
,ills and springs that have disappeared, sine,
she forests have been taken away. Nr
Marsh describes the eventual results Of til,
removal Of the forests, most eloqacntly, IL
fnll,vs,