The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-03-18

aries Of Italy, have suffered the penalty of
their thoughtlessness in exterminating their
forests.
The ancients have related to us the
wonderful productiveness of these lands
two thousand years ago, when they were
praised as the most beautiful in the world.
Now everything is changed Surely these
warnings are sufficient to put us on our
guard for many nations, even i'll one gen
Grafton, have seen the commencement and
termination of their improvidence, and We
are already beginning to feel the effects of
our destruction of forests, for we hear of
droughts where formerly they were I'M
known. Lumber is getting dearer every
year, and no wonder, for even i'll the State
of New York, between the years 1850 and
1860, there were 1867, 1873 acres of land
brought under cultivation, and it is known
that New York State was thickly wooded
country then, how long could it, or any
other State, stand such depletion? and yet
Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio. And how much is
wasted in the back woods, in order to facil
itate speedy determination. Even in our
day, we shall wish we had the wood that
has been so wantonly destroyed.
Allow me to remark, that all land own
ers should reserve, or plant, certain num-
Der of acres in trees, according to the size
of their farms. Then we should not fear
of suffering from droughts, &c. See the
tens of thousands of acres of steep and
rocky hills that are stripped of these mon
uments of beauty, just to satisfy their
owners pecuniary desires, while none are
replaced.
Reutzsch estimated that the proportion
of woodland to the entire surface was 90
per cent for the interior of Germany, sup
posing that near the sea it could be reduced
according to its approximation and humid
ity. Then, if Germany requires % per
cent, meantime having such evaporating
powers as the North, the Baltic and the
Mediterranean Seas, what per cent. is
required for Kansas, Nebraska and other
rtilCS, 81 idl lloHi SStt W oS't, " Sluf'iiZS
their temperature? For it is well known,
that in some parts of those States the tenn
perature changes simultaneously from
extreme heat to cold and cold to heat
Give to Iowa her right percentage of wood
land, and we should not hear of the Their
mometer indicating So below zero in win
ter, and 100 above in summer. But on
the other hand, let each State continue,
for the next quarter of a century, to ami
hlate the primitive forests as they have
done, and we shall hear of droughts where
none were ever heard of before preparing
these central States for ''Sahara'
passed the residence of an Irishman, a
few days ago, who had though tlessly plant
ed some trees on the boundary of his few
acres. They were not the most valuable of
trees, yet they were trees, or rather will be.
So this man, though unconscious Of his
example, has done what every owner of
land should do, in greater degree. l
have seen in Europe hundreds of acres
planted in valuable trees therefore, why
could not the United States do likewise,
but on larger scale9
Oh, therefore, let us exercise our facul-
ties for the preservation of Natures sacred
shades, or plant where they are needed, for
they will serve admirably to minister to
our wants for it is undeniably true that
they were given to US that we might derive
pleasure therefrom. Shall we destroy all
those beautiful vistas of slender columns,
spreading ont into, and supporting roofs
of tracery-those arcades of Natures pal
aces, in the sombre forests, where the
twisted trunks of the trees, the fretwork
of their branches, and the leafy canopy
formed by their leaves, supply all the
requisites of a magnificent and lofty tenn
pie, fit for the worship of that great First
Cause who formed them? Blessed is he
that readeth and UNDERSTANDABLE, SO saith
scripture.