Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-09
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 no farther.
Certain is it that if the rooftops had not
been baked dry by a summers drought
Chicago would not have mourned her
lost children and ruined homes.
Had not those Wisconsin fields been
as ashes in the dry wind, had plentiful
rains drenched the Michigan woods, the
country would have been happier to-
day. Everything there was as dry as
finder say all the papers.
Now whose fault was it People with
more piety than wisdom may say in a
Mortified way: "What question Do
you arraign acts of Providence ?" No.
There has been blame somewhere. We
are not inclined to shift it upon Heaven.
Men, not Providence, brought this cal
amity upon us. 1t is we who have crea-
ted these dry summers. Had there been
no drought there had been no such wide
ruin.
The time was when such long-contin-
ued dry seasons were not known. Men
can and do change the character of eli.
mates. We can cause the rain to fall OF
drive away the clouds. Men have alter
ed the temperature and moved the dew
point. The farmers of the northern
states are i'll measure responsible for
the series Of dry summers that have pre-
vailed for the last ten years.
Meteorology is beginning to take q
high position. We have mapped the
winds and can signal the coming storm
to the sailor and farmer. The laws OF
the weather are no longer q matter OF
guess-work. Cause and effect are as sure
i'll the clouds as on the ground. OBJ
serving the effect we can trace the cause
Given this series by dry summers, science
points to the cause-our dcnuded forests
In our foolish American haste we have
wastefully cut down the trees, dried NJ
the springs, raised the temperature, 81
that precipitation of moisture isreduced
and have driven the rain away in useless
clouds or invisible vapor over the At
lantic. Chicago is burned down and We
are solemnly saying, d" How heavy is the
hand of Heaven upon us. We have
prayed for rain one day of the week, ant
driven it away with an axe on six.
The mischief is done, and the hes
thing we can now do is to examine the
matter with view to future prevention
How shall we bring back the rain ? How
restore our forests ? Simply by planting
our woods anew.
This is not q new or uutriRd idea
Artificial woods are no longer noyelt,
in Europe. There this whole matter il
well understood. In parts OF the Con
tinent forestels are appointed by gov
eminent. 1t is their duty to inspect al
standing forests. Schools of mbori
culture are established, The habits o
the trees are considered the soil exam
ined, and tree-planting carried ON owe
hundreds Of square miles. For ever,
tree cut down one or more new one
must be set. Nurseries, producing mil
lions Of young trees, do thriving bust
ness in supplying this material. Unde
the advice Of the foresters the new forest
extend year by year. On the rocky hill
OF Scotland the oak, maple and chestnu
are planted the willow is set out by tn
million on the marsh-like "poldcrs" O
Holland; about Utrecht, and on tn
sandy plains Of Zelderland, near Arm
helm, the traveller passes artificial pin
forests by the hour.
In view OF these western fires it i
high time we prepared to initiate on
Transatlantic friends. At once the grea
cost OF such an undertaking comes III
Now we think it can be shown that til
thing will pay to do it. If there
money i'll it it will get itself done fas
enough.
The land used for such forests is ger
orally fit for nothing else. We hay
millions OF acres that are barren waste
an eyesore and tax on the owners. y
examining the most Furnishing tree
growing in similar soil in the nciohbol
hood we can decide what to plant. 3
sowing the seed or buying young tree
Il year old we can soon start forest thu
in twenty years will bring a cash letwr
thai will cover the cost of planting, il
terest and taxes, and leave margin {
profit besides.
TO come down to details, let NE pre-
ent an estimate prepared for gentl
man who had hundred acres of neall
valueless land in eastern Massachusett
1t was Il continual taX-bill and bcougl
no return whatever. The land W,
valued at fifty dollars an acre. The il
terest for twenty years would be $4,000
the taxes, $1,000. If he had nothing L
the land he would be $4,000 out
pocket at the end of that time. The
was fence round the whole lot that
was estimated it would cost twenty dc
lars year to maintain. Each ac
would hold 500 trees or 10000 in Il.
The trees could be bought Tor 81, 81
: The planting would cost about $50
The trees at the present price OF DOS
| and sleepers would be worth at lea
, seventy-hve cents each. 70 sum up
Interest. ...........,.. observation-disclosures. ssh
= taxes, .......'.'..'........ '.''.'''''. J,l
I Fencing. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
Oversight, at $50 per year. II
Fifty thousand trees. l.;
e Planting. ....,.,.'',,.'',..
: ST.;
! Fifty thousand trees at rs cts ......., 37,t
i Five per cent, loss NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. n
e $50:
|. Cost'''''''''''''''''.'''''' 49,
u $15,'
/ The care would be slight, as there
+ no culture of any kind. Certainly Il
n would be a nice little piece Of proper
}, to leave to the children, or set them
II in life with Were the trees cut dow
;, the place could be replanted. With b,
T. ter kinds of trees, and more time,
!, greater price could be obtained. I
trees to be used were maple and che
II nuts. The Scotch are noted for min