The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-08-19

4ue stofllS may De Wild,
But mother and child
Feel safe, for these strong hands caress them:
All praise to the labor-worn hands!
- .-t
FORESTS-No. 8.
Many people are skcptical relative
to the injurious effects on the climate
supposed to be caused by the destruc.
tion of forests. 1t seems to me thai
an investigation of this subject ought
10 convince any one that the climate
OF MANY countries has been radically
changed even by the partial clearing
away of trees, and where these have
all been removed, desolation has
generally been the rusult, caused by
the drying up of springs and deteri-
Grafton of the weather.
The British Medical Journal "a
work OF high authority, says that the
ground, on which stands IsmailIia a
town of G0O0 Inhabitants, was but a
few years since dry sandy desert,
on which rain was never known to
fall. All is now transformed. The
oldfdriedo up basin of Lake Timsah
has been again filled with water from
the Nile by fresh water canal. Trees.
shrubs and plants of all descriptions
grow rapidly wherever the soil is irri-
gated, and the artificial oasis widens
fast. Accompanying this extraordi-
nary transformation of the aspect of
the place, there has been a correspond
ing change of climate. At the pres
ent time Ismaillia, during eight
months in the year, is probably the
heaithiest spot in Northern Egypt
The mean temperature from June to
Septenber is "a deg. r., the four fol-
lowing months "a deg, and the four
winter months As deg. Until two
years ago rain was unknown, but in
twelve months ending in April last
there were actually fourteen days on
which rain fell, and lately there fell a
tremendous shower of rama phe-
nomenon which the oldest Arab had
never previously witnessed. Rain
ceases to fall on country, deprived
of its.foTests, or only falls in violent
storms. Here we see rain returning
to the desert on restoring the trees.
Pallestine (Falesthin), called the
Land Of Promise, on account of the
promise given to the posterity of
Abraham, embraces the coast. of SYRIA
on the Mediterranean, from Lebanon
south to the limits OF Egypt, and. was
one of the most fertile countries of the |
old world, Wine, salt, wild honey,
balsam, olives, dates, figs and pome-
granates, with large foeks and herds.
were its productions. The alienation
of mountain and valley, the temper
ate climate, the numerous streams. the
rains of spring and autumn caused its
fertility; One cause of its present
barrenness lies in the Incidence of its
inhabitants, who obtain their living
either !thfelr from from the pilgrims, or as rob-
Ders. But there is another, and the
principal cause of its present desolate
aspectand the question has often been
asked what has become of its temper
ate climate; of its numerous streams
OF the rains of spring and autumn p
Naturalists readily reply that Pales-
tine ancieHtly 5abounded in forests,
which, shading the fountains, prevent
ed excessive evaporation; that these
fonntaiiisin Summer and autumn at
tracted rain clouds, which now and
then refreshed the heated soil, giving
new life to vegetation. Its climate
also was rendered delightful in conse-
quence of its forests tempering the
heat of the sun, while the green veg
citation prevented the intense refIec-
ton of the heated rays such as a
sandy waste would occasion,
The Cape Verde Islands once pos
sessed delightful climate, and
abounded in springs and yielded boun-
tifully such products as rice, Indian
corn, bananas, lemons, oranges, cit
rons, .pomegranates, figs and melons.
The hills and valleys were covered
with charming verdure. They also
were blest with charming climate,
while at the present day the air is ex-
tremely hot and unwholesome, and
the springs have almost totally disap-
peared. This great deterioration of
the climate, and the evaporation of
the springs have resulted from the de-
struction of the forests, and the same
cause has vastly diminished their veg :
etable products. Gli
One Of the most terrible famines
that history has ever recorded occur
red last year in Algeria and Morocco,
regions that were once as productive ]
as our Southern States now are. An
ciently they enjoyed the blessings, at
tendant on forests, which were suffi-
cienpy plentiful in those regions for
then they lad springs; and thunder
clouds i'll summer often refreshed "
their soil But since their forests dis
appeared, their springs have been
dried up, and the naked lands possess
nothing that can attract rain cloud,
frequent and long coll 81
tinued drouths cause vegetation to
etA4@ o
Since an Oasis has been formed i'll
Egypt by artificial irrigation, and that
same tract, having been overgrown
with trees, has attracted, as natural
'esult, rain clouds, increasing the fer L
;lity of tho coil and for the Same rea-