Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-12-29
Remedy for DrOuth.

THE extreme drouth which has prevail
ed in many parts Of the country, drying
up the brooks, destroying the fish, and, in
many places, making total failure Of corn
and potatoes, leads us to inquire for
remedy Is there any? Has man any power
over natureg Can we add to- or diminish,
the rain fall? There are many facts in the
history of the old world, which go to show
that man has much of this power, and that
he may so direct his labors as to modify,
very essentially, the climate, as well as the
soil. Countries once fertile are now near
ly barren, and sustain but handful Of
people. Their brooks are dried up, and
the rain-fall is greatly diminished. On the
other hand, wells sunk in the desert make
an oasis, and the spot Of verdure increases
with the passing years, until showers fall
upon the parched sands A remarkable
instance of the effect of mans labors upon
climate is now going on in the Great Salt
Lake Valley, in our own country When
the Mormons first settled this region, they
were entirely dependent upon irrigation
for their crops The supply of water was
small, and they feared lest, with the increase
Of their population, there might not be
at last enough to irrigate all their lands, and
famine must stare them in the face. But they
have titled their lands, planted trees, which
are now large and completely embower
their city, and their gardens are full of fruit
trees and Towering shrubs. Many thou
sands of acres, once barren, have been
made more productive than in rainy eli
mates. Enormous sums have been spent
in bringing water by artificial channels
from the distant mountains to make these
now fertile fields. The face Of the earth
T. 81, ~ 1o.
corresponding change in the climate.
They now have rams from the sky, almost
enough to meet the wants of growing
crops, thing unheard of until within q
few years. The effect of the increased rain
fall in the Valley has had very marked
effect upon the Great Salt Lake, which Is
1876 miles long by As miles wide. 1t has
risen IL feet since the Mormon occupation,
and the water has a smaller proportion Of
salt. Formally it took three gallons Of
water to make one of salt, now it requires
four. The change has also affected thA-
streams that that flow through the Valley,
and it is estimated that the same channels
carry twice as much water as formerly for
the purposes Of irrigation. These facts
are very encouraging, not only to the Nor
mons, bat to the settlers along the line OF
the Pacific Railroad, where there is little
rain. 1t may be expected that irrigation,
and cultivation, and the planting of trecsl
will gradually work change in the eli
mate, and make rainless regions product
i've. There can be no doubt that the re-
moval of forests from country has ten
dency to diminish the rainfall, and to
make the showers less frequent as well as
less abundant If the clearing process il
carried too far, we do not have rain enough
to give us average crops The most desira-
BILE proportion Of forest to cleared fields il
reckoned in France at one of the former
to four of the latter, and the government
of that country regulates forest culture for
the general good. In this country there is
no regulation, and every man follows his
own sweet will in destroying trees. We
think the time is not far distant when
our government will have to look after
this matter, and place some restriction
upon the removal Of forests, and encourage
the planting Of trees upon the prairies, and
in the rainless regions. Wood and timber
are growing very scarce and high, in some
Of the older parts of the country; and
streams once full of water are now nearly
dry for the larger part of the year. We
very much want information disseminated
upon this subject. The instinct of self
preservation, if it were enlightened, would
lead farmers to preserve their forests upon
the mountains and hills, in which our
streams take their rise, and mot to drain
too many of the swamps in these high
lands. Tho springs ct the source Of every
brook should be sacredly guarded. These
high lands are generally rocky, rough, and
steep, and quite impracticable for the blow.
They are favorable 70 the growth of wood.
and should be left e. sources Of the supnlv
Of fuel, timber, and rain, for the benefit Of
the whole countsy.--AMSviesa Aorjcrl