The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1872-05-11
2Hiscellaneous.
Forests and Rain FHH.

Mr.. Hademann, Of Pennsylvania, came very
near carrying through the House, on Tuesday
last his bill to encourage the planting OF trees
and for the preservation Of woods on the public
domain. The vote stood 81 to ss, SO that a
change of four votes only would have carried it..
The bill was a good one, and the necessity Of
some such law will every succeeding year make
itself more and more apparent. We are so &C.
customed to the ring Of the woodman's axe that
we have failed to consider the consequences that
will inevitably follow the destruction OF our
forests. Those consequences are in fact apparent
already in the older Ststes-in the protracted
droughts, the lessening volume of our water
courses, and the sudden and disastrous floods, in
stead of regular and temperate rains, by which
we are visited.
Our climate is a peculiar one. We have
almost arctic winters and semi-tropical summers
the temperature ranging during the year from
below zero to over hundred degrees Fahrenheit
This distinction between the seasons will become
more sharply defined, and the ardity of our
summers will increase with the gradual disap-
pearance of our forests. In his speech before the
House on this important subject, Mr.. Haldemann
cited a large number of authorities, in evidence
of the truth Of the following propositions
lst. That forests we'll distributed promote
mildness and equability Of climate.
serve the country from wasting droughts.
Sd. That they are conservative Of the volume
of rivers, and their easy navigation.
Attn. That they act as storage reservoirs OF
moisture, and these give permanence and abun-
dance to natural springs.
5th. That they act as preventatives OF miss-
matte influences.
eth. That they operate as a permanent check
upon inuEdations and destructive freshets.
There is not one ofths points laid down above
that cannot be defended and substantiated by
evidence of the most indsputable character. The
experience OF all history shows that the destruc-
ton of forests is followed by droughts. aridity
and barrenuess, the disappearance Of natural
springs, and a consequent shrinksge in the
volume Of streams and rivers.
Mr.. Haldemann quoted Boussingault, to the
effect that very large cearings diminish the rain
fall, and also the conclusions reached by Savignat
who has made profound study Of the subject
that sforests diminish evaporation" and that ''it
''bas been established, in wooded countries, that
''it rains oftener and that, the quantity Of rain
''being equal, they nre more humid"
Bequerel furnishes the explanation. He re-
marks that "forests contribute to the formation
''of springs not only by reason OF the humidity
(which they produce, and the obstacles they op-
''pose to the evaporation Of the water which falls
''of the trees which, by dividing the soil, render
tsit more pervious and thus facilitate inhllra-
''tion."
The observation OF every person living in the
vicinity of great woods teaches him that the sur
face, covered with falling leaves and decaying
vegetable fibre, is spongy, and that through this
spongy mass fine rootlets ramify in every direc-
tion, forming Q perfect net work beneath the
leaves, and promoting the absorption OF all the
rain that falls. When the wood is cut of, and
the surface laid bare by the plow, the amount of
evaporation in eur hot Summers is enormous |;
the springs fail, the rivulets dry up, snd the
streams TO which they we're tributaries diminish.
The rainfall is no longer as evenly distributed,
but is held back and discharged at longer inter-
walls in immense quantities, which, instead OF
being absorbed by the soil, flows over it, and
where the water shed is extensive, produces those
terrible floods to whose Devastating effects We
here in Maryland, as we'll as those elsewhere, can
bear sorrowful testimony. We also know that
our streams and rivers have shrunk so much in
volume, that City years ago the Pstapsco was
nayigable tor ships OF burhen to Elkridge, whilst
now a vessel drawing four feet water could
scarcely reach that village. For nine months OF
last wear no water passed over the dam at Lake
Roland, the supply from, that source being barely
adequate for the uses of the city. This year, we
fear the supply will be still less, as many farmers
in that part of Baltimore county complain that
the springs are lower than they have ever known
them whilst on some farms they have failed en-
,irely. These are serious matters. The conse-
ouences that now from the marked and sudden
alterations of temperature, the shrinksge Of our
rivers, the aridty Of the soil, the wasting
drougb,s and tremendous floods, are largely due
20 the causes to which Mr.. Haldemanu ascribes
them. - Baltimore Gasrso, Nay Sd.