Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-01-20

GREELEY On FoBESr IREEs.-ln q lecture
recently delivered At Cooper Institute. Mr..
Greeley said
The grca; fault OF American fir:aer- Doe, n
their disposition 90 cultivate too much laui o..
do which they carry on war against tde tries
which are 50 necessary o. render thc arabic band
rich and available for purposes of agriculture.
Still, while he repr0batel the iudiS-riminat,
destruction of trees, he knew. what every intel
hgent farmer knew, that il WIS sometimes nee
.ssary to cut down some in order % preserve
others. This, however, should be- dele with
great care, and only those Of uo especial value.
should be destroyed.
In Europe, the forests we're poor. compared 70
those Of America. The foliage Of the Latter. with
its rich Summer beauty, and the glory OF 10.
variegatcl Autumnal tiuts, finds no parallel in
any other portions Of the globe IL constituted
the principal beauty Of American scenery. He
believed that ID one half Of the forests which
were standing on this continent, 20 the time of
ITS discovery by Columbus, were -tii standing
the country would be much better OFT. TINS
could be easily proven. Trees were necessary
TO the enriching Of the soil and the prevention
Of long drouths Il was a fact to De deplored.
that 50 much land was now devoted 60 uasturage
Farmers permit their cattle TO browse in their
forests, and thus eat up a portion Of their pros
perity.
In Westminster, Putnam. and Rocklsud Coun-
ties, in Fairfield County, Ct, IN many portions
of New jersey. there were many places where
trees were intended to grow, and where they
would grow, if the farmer would permit them 10
do so. Wherever there there Was "a rock a tree
should staud by its side. and it was an easy mat
ter to plant trees between clumps ofrocks iu soil
which could not and was not irtended 10 be
used for any other purpose.
No land was TT to be ploughei out of which
the rocks cannot be taken. Il was bad ocouo-
my to make land 10y blasting rocks and pulver-
ling them into what some farmers call soil
Stone, no matter how fine il might Be pulverizel
could not be transformed into ground II was
mistaken idea to suppose that it could be
done
In Eur ope this planting of trees WAS under /
stood, and in many portions Of Scotland it Is 1
done with great advantage b. the farming inter I
osts Of the country. Trees are valuable, not on
" Tor their immediate product but they are .
highly valuable for the moisture which they re- /
tain and shed upon the soil during the period of .
drouth.
By the wholesale destruction Of then the far
mer intensifes our Summer drouths Ii IT were
desirable 10 have a long drOuth annually. LET the
country be denuded Of forests, and il viii not
fail to pay Us a visit. Vision, it was true. dc
tated the policy Of cutting down many trees that
are of no value, so that forests might be I'M
proved in beauty and value. There shou!i be
combined enterprise for increasing our ;orest, He
the running Of railroad through
john Browns tract, which he denCmiuatel the
great park Of the State Of New York. The en-
terprise had broken two or three men. and he
hoped II would break every man who veutured
INTO it. We could no; afford TO have that lovely
region cut bare Of lis trees. lie believed that If
i were done, there would he immense fools an
lually on the Mohawk and the Hudson. which
would sweep away whole streets m Albany and
Troy. That tract should he preserved for the
benefit Of all who desired 70 leave the city and
Ill its conyenuoualisms IN Summer, and 20 10
hat place 10 breathe the pure air Of heaven,
md enjoy season Of freedom from the restraints
# society.
Mr.. Greeley urged the establishment Of forest
'arks in various parts of the country. These
ould be found within distance TO be reached
y i've hours ride from the city, and they
euld be filled with animals like the antelope Of
he West and others equally as -aluable. There
Fas no reason why we should not have parks Of I
his kind in this country which would throw ;
hose Of Europe far a the shade