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

Mr.. DoNNELLY, of Minnesota has introduced in
Congress bill looking to the propagation of
forests upon the great prairies of the West.
Probably in many respects more important
measure than this has never been brought to
the attention of the American public. The in.
fiuence of forests upon the soil, climate, and
productions of various portions of the earth's
surface is one of the most interesting topics
with which physical geography has to deal.
Nor is it subject by any means devoid of in
terest to the practical statesman. The preserya.
tion or destruction of forests affects the supply
OF timber for navel architecture and for ship.
building in general. 1t influences the price of
lumber, and so advances or retards the growth
of cities and villages. 70 determines, to a great
extent, the supply OF fuel for railroads and fac
tories. 1t modi6es the climate and the soil, and
thus affects the supply and prices of provisions.
In its more remote earrings it often determines
the question of the habitability even of large
sections of country.
q he vast praires of our Western States and
Territories are unique. They are treeless but
fertile. The soil is deep and productive. They
are 80 nearly level that the absence of forests
does not result in thoce terrible desolations of
the surface by storms and torrents which mark
those mountain districts in France where the
trees have been removed by the hand of man. On
the contrary, they receive back year after year
the luxUriant crops OF grasses which they bear,
and so become richer and richer.
The absence of forests from our Western
prairies probably eXerts marked influence
upon their climate. Mechanically there is
nothing to break the sweep of the winds, and
they always prevail with more or less violence.
The first thing that strikes a stranger in a
pralrie country is the constant winds. Day and
night they blow almost without intermission.
During some seasons of the year these winds are
ofso moderate a character as more properly to
be denominated breezes. and then they become
an agreeable feature of the climate, but at other
times they add greatly to its rigors. When in
winter lhe North wind comes sweeping down in
unobstructed fury from the Arctic regions, it
produces degree OF intense and uncomfortable
cold on the prairies TO be found nowhere else,
1t is no uncommon thing upon the bleak open
plains Of the West Tor the mercury to descend to
more than twenty degrees below zero. Team
sters, stage drivers, and travellers suffer much
more In the winter there than they do in wooded
countries IN a hi1her latitude. A temperature
that may be endured with impunlty when the
human lie when accompanied by brisk wind.
As result of these terrible winter winds,
the raising of fruit upon the prairies is mposs
BILE iu the same latitude where, in more sheltered
localities, 1t is produced abundantly. Tn1s upon
the prairies of Iowa, which lie within the parall-
els of Central New York and Northern Pc ln.
sylyania, it is found almost impossible to raise
even the harder varlties of apples.
These same winds often add to the heats ofsum
mer Sometimes, after several DAYS of dry, hot
weather, violent wind will spring up from the
south and southwest, and sweep, with the
breath of very Simeon, over the land. 1t car
be compared to nothing else than to bias
from the mouth Of furnace. We have seel
tender vegetation under such win'
scorched and withered as though b.
contiguity TO fire. The common theor