The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-11-05
Correspondence of the Democratic Press ]
FORESTS.
NUMBER II.

The great importance of wood to
society, and the rapid decrease of for
ests, if particular care be not taken of
them, have led, in modern times, to a
careful investigation of the subject of
the management of forests, and every
thing connected with it. The Ger;
mans, who first taught mining. as a
science, were the first who treated
scientifically of forests, and every
thing connected with it. They also,
at early. period, established, forest
academies, in which all branches re-
lating to the knowledge of them are
taught. These establishments origina-
ted from the increasing scarcity OF
wood, which rendered the careful
of the forest necessary,
and from the plan Of raising a revenue
on the part of Government by the
sale of the wood. Mr.. .Tranthier first
introduced instructions in the forest
sciences as a particular branch of
study at nsenburg, in Stolburg; Wer--.
nigerode, near the Hartz mountains,
Prussia soon directed her attention to
them, and, at present. no person in
that country is appointedsto an office
in the forest department without hay
ing undergone q strict examination in
the branches of knowledge connected
with the forests, and having served
personally in the FORESTS for a con-
siderable length of time. There are
a number of forest academies in diff.
ferent parts of Germany, particularly
in the small States of Central Germa-
ny, in the Hartz, Theoringia, sc, The
principal branches taught in them are
the following: Forest botany, miner
alogy, zoology, chemistry, by which
the learner is taught the natural histo-
~ of forests, and the natural relations.
&C., of the different kingdoms of ma
ture. He is also instructed in the care
and chase of game, and in the survey
ing and cultivation of forests SO as to
understand the mode of raising all
kinds of wood, and supplying new
growth as fast as the old is taken away,
Many farmers IN our country, if we
may Judge by their. doings, seem to
regard forests as their greatest pests,
for they say that they pay taxes on
the soil that they cover, and yet OBJ
tain no profit from them consequent
ly they cut down their trees and des-
troy them as fast as possible. If we
should take little pains to examine
the region called the western Re
serve,". we should find many farms III
every township of every county that
to-day is not worth. half the money
they would be if they were half or
wholly covered with their native trees.
There are farms in Portage and Sum-
NIT counties entirely stripped of every
valuable tree so that neither fence TIM
Der nor lumber of any kind can be
obtained from them and some of them
cannot supply fuel for the dwelling
houses upon them. Many of our peo-
pie do not believe that climate. can be
affected or modified by forests all ;
| but such persons have not studied the
subject since the greatest of all mod
ern naturalists, that is, Baron Won
Humbolt speaks positively upon this
theme and says that the destruction O
forests from any region causes many
of its springs to disappear SO that, IL
summer, it does not send forth mois.
/ ture into the air sufficient to attract
rain cloud. Hence portions Of the
earth's surface, once watered by nu'
merous fountains and once highll!
\ pro oductiye, are now parched, every
summer with ,drouth, their springs
dried up and their soil barren. Oul
numerous railways have. contributed
greatly to the eradication of our ma
tive trees in requiring them for sleep
ers, ties and fuel. But reform in this
regard will be very soon a matter O
necessity, for suitable timber in tht
forests will soon disappear, wher
blocks of stone for sleepers and iro1
for ties must be used, and coal alone
for fuel. aa.sE .-s.H ssuiHAa g. p
Farmers generally regard squirrel
as their enemies; consequently the.
hunt them with great zeal, no
dreaming that they occupy very use
!, full position of )" Natures chain.
Naturalists have ascertained that thes
little animals have accomplished grea
| good in disseminating the most use
full genera and species of trees in va
rious parts of the temperate zone b
planting the seeds of the same tina
is, mysterious instinct impels theT
i: to hoard up stores of provisions fo
their winters wants hence they gath
er, often carry to long distances, an
! bury in the soil beach nuts, acorn
and the fruits of the walnut, hiekor.
sc. AS they many times have SUI
. plus of them, these germinate th
next spring, and, after the lapse of
9 few tleeting yeras, new forest aris
due to the industry of these animal
:, Tennessee is situated in latitud
such as would naturally lead us hel
. in Ohio to imagnine that its summ'
heat must be oppressive; but such
not the case, for, during fifteen yea
: of residence there, 1 never found I'll
= heat so uncomfortable as it was
Ohio last summer. The cause of Il
= mildness of the Tennessee summ
iappears to me to be in its numero1
7 forests, which modify the climate, al
n prevent excessive evaporation fro
the soil, and the refreshing GOODNESS
4 their shade in a hot day makes stl
king contrast with the temperature
the air over region destitute oftret
= The hest Dastures in Tennessee and