The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-11-10

The Remote Cause OF the Western Fires.
Chicago has burned down, and whole
square miles Of western land are burnt
up. That misguided COW and unhappy
lamp have been berated enough. II the
barn had been damp with recent rains
perhaps the fire had gone 40 farther
Certain il II that II the rooftops had not
been baked dry by summers drought
Chicago would not have mourned her
lost children aud ruined homes,
Had not those Wisconsin fields been
an ashcA In the dry wind, had plentiful
rains drenched the Michigan woods, the
country would have been happier to-
day, Everything there was as dry ~
tinder say all the papers,
Now whose fault was il People with
more piety than wisdom may say In a
Mortified way "What a question Do
You arraign acts Of Providence " No
I There has been blame somewhere. We
are not inclined 10 shift IL upon Heaven,
Men, not Providence, brought this cal
amity upon us. II is we who have erea
ted these dry summers. Had there been
no drought there had been no such wide
ruin.
The time was whom such long,oontin-
ued dry seasons were not known, Men
can and do change the character of eli
mates. We can canSe the rain 90 fall or
drive away the clouds. Men have alter
ed the temperature and moved the dew
point. The farmers Of the northern
states are in a measure responsible for
the series of dry summers that have pre-
vailed for the last ten years.
Meteorology is beginning TO take a
| high position. We have mapped the
winds and can signal the coming storm
10 the sailor and farmer. The laws of
1 the weather are no longer "a matter Of
Z galess-Work. Cause aud effect are as sure
I I'M the clouds as on the ground. OBJ
serving the effect va can trace the cause.
Given this series by dry summers. science
points 90 the eause-our denuded forests.
/ In our foolish American haste We have
wastefnlly cut down the trees, dried mp
I the springs, raised the temperature, so
that precipitation Of moisture is reduced,
and have driven the rain away in useless
clouds or invisible vapor over the At
lantic. Chicago il burned down and We
are solemnly saying, How heavy is the
hand of Heaven upon us We have
prayed for rain one day of the week, and
driven il away With AN axe ON six.
The mischief is done, and the best
I thing We can now do is 10 examine the
matter with a view 10 future prevention.
I How shall we bring back the rain {? How
restore our forests 2 Simply by planting
our woods anew.
( This il not new or untriad idea.
Artificial woods are no longer novelty
/ in Europe. There this whole matter is
we'll understood In parts Of the Con
tinent foresters are appointed by gov
ernment. II is their duty 10 inspect all
/ standing forests. Schools Of arbori-
culture are established. The habits OF
the trees are considered, the soil exam
med aud tree planting carried ON over
/ hundreds of square miles. For every
/ tree cut down one or more new ones
must be set. Nurseries, producing mil
lions Of young trees, do n thriving busi-
ness IN supplying this material. Under
the advice Of the foresters the new forests
extend year by year. On the rocky hills
Of Scotland the oak. maple and chesinn,
are planted the willow is set out 10y the
million ON the marsh-hka "pOldersn of
Holland about Utrecht, and ON the
sandy plains of 2elderland, near Arm
helm. the traveller passes artificial pine
I forests 10y the hour.
. In view of these western fres ID is
I high time We prepared 10 initiate our
I transatlantic friends. At once the great
cost Of such an undertaking comes mp.
I Now we think il can be shown that the
thing viii pay TO do it, II there is
money IN il IL viii get itself done fast
enough.
The land used for such forests il gen.
orally tit for nothing else. We have
millions Of acres that are barren wastes
An eyeSore and tax on the owners. BY
examining the most hourishing trees
growing in similar soil in the neighbor-
hood we can decide what 90 plant By
sowing the seed or buying Young trees
year old We can soon start forest that
in twenty years will bring a cash return
that will cover the cost Of plaating, in.
terest and taxes, and leave n margin Of
profit besides.
To come down 10 details, let ne pres
ent an estimate prepared for a gentle
man who had hundred acres of nearly
yalneless land in eastern Massachusetts,
II was continual tax.bill and brought
no return whatever. The land was
valued Mt fifty dollars an acre. The in
tereSi for twenty years would be s6, 600 :
the taxes, 5000. II he had nothing no
the land he would be $1,000 ont Of
pocket at the end Of that time. There
was fence round the whole lot thnt il
was estimated il would cost twenty dol
lars q year % maintain Zach acre
would hold 500 trees or $4,000 in ALL
The trees could be bought Tor 81, 500
The planting would cost about 5000
The trees at the present price Of posts
and sleepers would he worth at least
seventy-tive cents each. To sum mp: