The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-05

in regard to these hot winds among the
people Of the West, is that they are owing to
heat and drouth prevailing over vast region
OF country destitute of mountain ranges aud
great forests.
There are other pecularities of the Western
country, caused to q greater or less degree By
the absence of trees. which il might be interest
ing to discuss, did our limits permit For in-
stance. 1t Is worthy OF scientific inquiry whether
the floods of the Mississippi river, sc destructive
all alone its lower banks, are not owing to the
vast extent Of unwooded country drained by it
and its branches. These floods impose the ex.
pense Of maintaining a costly and extensive
system of levees, which, alter all, prove but
partial protection against their ravages. 1t is
probable that the general propagation of forests
throughout what is known as the Valley OF tbs
Mississippi would result in the almost entire
cessation of these loods-not by diminishing
the fail rain, but by preventing the surplus
water from so rapidly finding its way to the
streams. An open prairie sheds water almost
as rapidly as the roof Of a house. and prairie
streams are universally subject to sudden and
excessive floods. Where this system prevails
over tens of thousands Of square miles, as in
the West, even such mighty stream as the
Father of Waters becomes too small to carry
off the rapidly accumulated volume of waters
consequent upon protracted and widely extended
storms, and its reslstless floods spread upon
every hand, breaking down the feeble barriers
erected by man and laying waste his most
valuable works. I'D
What was the original cause of the absence of
trees upon the praries is not known. But, now
AI,oA4 "a taI..A
growth is prevented by the annual fires which
sweep over them. Wherever the fires are kept
off thick and luxuriant gro tn of underwood
springs up Immediately, which, In short time,
furnishes fuel for the settler, and in few years
gives him fencingstuff and lumber. 1t thus
happens that the progress of settlement in
prairie country produces a precisely opposite
result to that produced in wooded country.
In the latter the progress of settlement destroys
the forests in the former it tends to restore them
Each prairie settler feels an interest in keeping
fire from his own premises; roads across the
country check its progress; ana in most OF the
Western States the wllul firing of the prairies Is
made penal ofense. The result is that every
year larger bodies of open land are preserved
from the ravages of fire, and thus contribute an
annual increase to the growth OF timber. There
is tar greater breadth of forest timber growing
to-day in the prairie regions OF the West than
there was before the settlements were made.
We do not believe tina, much can be done by
the General Government to directly foster this
work. 1t is on too vast scale. The experience
of other countries, where the destruction of
forests has been of more immediate and positive
damage, does not afford much hope that legisa-
tive enaCtments can reach the matter Soma
thing might be done by the State governments
by way of releasing lands devoted to the growth
or preservation of forest: from taxation and
something might perhaps be effected by the
General Government imposing tax upon
lumber, to preserve our present forests. But
the great means to be relied on must be enlight-
ened seltinterest on the part of the people them
selves.