Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-11-02
W0odman, Spare that Tree

Sf~AS sAnt AACC.
Ihe New York Evening Post has an
article on the way we are stripping the
whole country of forests, and the conse-
quences of this prodigality which de-
serves consideration in Maine as well
as other sections:
Any one passing the Alps into Nor
thcrn Italy and proceeding rs Ear south
AS Naples, or travelling from oil Cas-
tile down To Cadiz and Malaga. or Wis
iting Sicily and Greece, and still fur
ther to the east, Palestine and the En-
pirates Falley, cannot shut his ewes To
the causes which have brough: about
the decline Of empires. Foremost
among these causes has been the de.
llberatc destruction OF forests. In the
south OF France. the disastrous consr-
quences became so evident that the
Imperial Government submitted the
question 10 the most searching inquiry.
and the unanimous opinion given bv
scientific observers was that the climate
of n country Is subjected To serious
change the moment the mountains are
shorn of their moisture attracting for
ests. Suffering from prolonged drouths
and destructive iuundatlons, country
deprived of its woodlands finds it, no.
rlcultural interests in constant danger.
and sinks at last to a prccarious state
Of dependence on the grain production
of other countries.
There Is now but one opinion on the
subject of the downfall of the nations
of the Euphrates Valley. The pro-
longed drouths enfecbIed the physical
and therefore the moral nature Of the
inhabitants. When the Romans land
edl Spain, the country was inhabited
by forty millions ofcomparativelv pros
porous people, the Ibcrians The coun-
try was then well wooded but, during
the Roman and subsequently during
the Gothic and Arab occupation. the
destruction OF forests was continued in
a most merciless manner, aud not a tree
has been replanted 10 this day. From
forty millions the population during
nineteen hundred years dwindled to
nine millions Mt the commencement of
the present century! In CASTLE, -.
pccIally on the plans, the traveller NAV
not see tree during whole DAYS
journey. lla'lstorms, drouth, lasting.
without drop OF rain, from April to
October, or sudden aud destructive in
undatlons, are the consequence. The
same thing is observable in every land
of southern Europe where the conditions
are similar.
The entire failure OF anv crop through
out the land is unknown among Us
vet it cannot be denied that scorchlnu
and prolonged drouths, especially out
side the Gulf Stream Influences, are
yearly more frequent. These north
western fires are an Illustration uf
this fact, having had their origin in
this cause. The sensitive nature Of
our leading staple Cotton. should not
be forgotten. \ long season OF dry
weather after the plant is q foo, from
the ground will not do it mucn harm
bat a continuation of RAIN aud occa,-
IOnai Inundatiou, may easily reduce a
crop from five millions of bales to three
millions. The longer We proceed in
discriminatory - DESTROY forests. with
ont rrplantinL single trrc, tnr more
caprlcious the climate becomes from
Maine 10 the Rio Grand. ON our PA
citic coast, this year, the lrputh hA,
been such that more than a quarter Of
the wheat crop Is lost. TakIng exam
pie. in their distress. from the RD.
mans and tne Moors Of Spain. the far
mcrs of that State purpose to obtain
irrigation by aqueducts through the
wheat regions The destruct. of
forests in California and Orc ron has
been on a gigantic scale during these
twenty years. and the consequences
begin TO Be felt already.
Is IL not time that subject Of
such paramount Importance should be
discussed in Congress and III the le.-
islatiye bodies of every State Is it
not time that some stringent laws
should be enacted to compel the in
dividuals and companies that are de
stroving our majestic American forests
to repeople the waste places with trees
wherever agriculture does not claim
the land! Legislative measures should
be taken, too, with the cooperation
of the Canadian authorities. as the
people Of the Dominion are forest de-
stroyers like ourselves.