Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-27
PROBABLE CL1M Nv CHANGE.

FHObAbLG Sn ANOE.
Extreme dryness of he earth and air, &C
cOmpanied with fierce winds, are given as
the cause of the late destructive forest fires
in the northwest. But it is asked, what
caused the cause? The answer given is,
the humid climate incident to the removal
of the timber on large tracts Of land. 1t is
asserted by scientific men that the cutting
away of the forests produces a diminution
of rain, as well as a softening of the tenn
perature. This has been noticed particu-
larly in the Great West, where of late years
immense quantities of timber have been cut
down. In all that vast region rain does not
fall so copiously as it did byfore such havoc
was made in the great forests of that region,
while the climate has moderated very mate
rally. Our older citizens have noticed how
materially the climate has moderated in Ten
nessee, especially in the eastern portion, in
the last forty years. While there may
have been no actual decrease Of rain, it is
not 50 diffuSed throughout the seasons as
formerly. This is particularly noticeable in
the West, where droughts of long contin-
uance are more noticeable oflate years than
formerly. A scientific writer in a New
York paper predicts that the destruction Of
forests in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michi-
gan will cause serious climatic changes, and
in support of his theory he cites the fact
that any one passing the Alps into North
| ern Italy and proceeding as far south as
Naples, or travelling from Old CASTLE down
to Cadiz and Malaga, or visiting Sicily
| and Greece, and still further to the east,
| Palestine and the Euphrates valley, cannot
| shut his eyes 10 the causes which have
brought about the decline of empires.
| Foremost among these causes has been the
4 deliberate destruction of forests. In the
south of France the disastrous conse-
/ quences became so evident that the late
| imperial government submitted the ques-
ton to the most searching inquiry, and the
unanimous opinion given by scientific OBJ
servers was, that the climate of country
is subjected to q serious change the moment
the mountains are shOrn of their moisture
attracting forests. Suffering from pro-
longed droughts and destructive III
undations, a country deprived Of its
woodlands finds its agricultural interests in
constant danger, and sinks at last to a
precariOus state of dependency on the grain
production a other countries. These
changes he considers inevitable if, without
replanting forest is swept away by the
blows of the wOodman'S axe or by the
wholesale destruction wrought by fire. Re
ferring to the downfall in the Euphrates
valley he says that the prolonged droughts
enfeebled the physical and therefore the
moral nature of the inhabitants
When the Romans landed in Spain
the country was inhabited by forty
millions of comparatively prosperous
people, the Iberians. The country was then
well wooded, but during the Roman and
subsequently during the Gothic and Aral
occupation, the destruction of forest was
continued in the most merciless manner
and not a tee has been replanted to this
day. From forty millions, the population
during nineteen hundred years dwindled tC
, nine millions at the commencement Of The
present century, In Castle, especially OIL
f the plains, the traveller may not see a tree
during a whole days journey. Hailsi Orms
} droughts lasting, without a drop Of rain
from April till October, or sudden anC
, destructive foundations are the con
| sequence. The same thing is oh
t servable in every land Of South
= ern Europe where the conditions al,
, similar. Notwithstanding our present pros
1 ! peritv, and that the entire failure of an,
9 crop throughout the land is unknown
among us, vet it is true that scOrching ant
= prolonged drOughts, especially outside TN
= Gulf stream Influence, are becoming NOR
= frequent every year. These northwestern
a fires had their origin from this fact, and g
: 10 support the theory. The combustibl
;. nature ofour leading staple should not be fol
= gotten. A long season Of dry weather ate
# the cottonis foot high will not do it muc
= harm, but a continuation of rain and Of oC
r casional foundations may easily reduce
i crop from five million to three millio
e bales. 1t seems plausible tina
$ the longer we proceed indiscriminate
" to destroy forests without re
II planting, the more capricious becomes tn
r climate between Maine and the Rio Grandt
l. More than quarter of the wheat crop wi
e be lost this year by the drought on th
II Pacific coast. The destruction of forests |