Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-03-15
FORESTRY.
An Essay Read before tn" Wards
Cornexs Farmer Club.
BY l.. Il. WARD.

Corners Farners' Club.
BY l.. Il. WARD.
There are few propositions more
evident than that the God of nature
has adapted all things in this world
of ours for the highest wcll-being Of
his creatures. But we find IN many
parts a state of things which does
not seem to indicate that all are in
the best condition to consummate
this ultimate result. Some portions
of the globe are sandy deserts; 9th
ers, vast plains, or steppes, many of
them fertile, it is true, like our own
prairies, but others alkaline, or BIZ
luminous, arid and sterile, and all
subject to extreme climatic changes;
ofalternate droughts and floods, of
high winds, simoons and hurri-
canes. What is the cause? l an
swcr, the want Of natures clothing
There are few places in
the world so sterile that a tree of
some kind will not grow. And if it
had not been for some interference
with the laws Of nature, most of
these waste places would to day be
enjoying natures wrapping, and
many of the evils with which man
is now afflicted he might escape
There seems to be strange apathy
on the part Of mankind in regard to
some Of the most important matters
connected with their vital interests,
especially when those interests are
a little remote and some trif1ing
gain is more Immediately involved.
This seems to be prominent char
actcristic of the race. From the
earliest history of man We find the
stronger ever seeking to compel the
weaker to do his drudgery and per-
form his labors. And he has hard
ly yet learned his error, though the
system has involved the ruin of ma.
tons and empires; while .civiliza-
ton has stood aghast and been held
back thousand years. So Of ma
ny things we might mention affect
ing his moral relations, and which
are sure to- bring their legitimate,
though bitter. fruits. But not less
surely does retribution follow, when
physical nature is invaded and the
beautiful clothing it has vcuchsafed
to earth is stripped from hilltop to
valley, and the prirneval forest with
all its glory is wantonly laid waste.
He will find, when it is too late,
that he has attacked the citadel OF
Gods benefcence, and the conse-
quences will sooner or later recoil
upon his own head.
But it may be urged that the for.
est was made for man. And SO it
was. But the forest destroycrs
have acted as though they believed
it was made for no such purpose,
and that they were especially com
missiohed to destroy It, and remove
it out of their way as a nuisance
But mankind are ever seeking to be
wiser than their Creator, and it is
hard for them to learn that they
cannot invade the domain of nature
and ovcrturn it's general order, with
impunity. The results of this rcck-
lessness have already become quite
apparent in many parts of our own
country, and still more SO in the old
world. The truth is, the forests
acere made for man, but not for him
to abuse; and much less for him to
destroy.
The wisdom of the Creator in ar
ranging forests with an endless va
riety of trees, shrubs and flowers,
and Of making them the genial
home Of beast, bird and insect,
points Enthusiastically to other de-
signs than their wanton waste. In.
viting man to home, to contempla-
ton, to alteration. But the money
god has called and demanded wor.
ship, and promised the kingdoms
of this world and the glory of them,
and man has succumbed. The for.
ests are fellcd, the winds are let in,
the ground is unshaded, the foun.
tains arc dried up in their sources,
the rivulet no longer meanders
through the meadows, the brooklet
where in our boyhood we caught
the speekled trout, is gone, the hu
nudity of the atmosphere is blown
away, the herb and the flower arc
rarched and withcrcd, the soil il
failing in it's productivcncss, frui,
is becoming an uncertain crop and
the substantial staples have now tc
be transported long distances te
find consumers on their once con
genial soil; in short, agriculture i.
waning and the whole country il
fast being turned into manufactur
ing districts. What is to be the ul
innate result? Our people hav.
little realized while they have beer
carrying on this work of destruc
ton, how intimately connected will
our forests was the humidity of gu,
climate, and our regular and annua
rain fall, and the consequent effec
upon our agricultural interests.
If we would contemplate this i,
its fullest sense, let us turn our eve.
to the old world. Two Thousand
years ago tire 'mo,intains Of SPAR
were crowned with magnificent for
csts, while her plains waved will
golden harvests, which It's said
made her next to Sicily, ut Ma
time the granery Of the world. Blu
now this is all changed. The char
acteristic improvidcnce Of the Span
lard is here most strikihgly mani
fest. The inevitable woodman ha.
been abroad. The forests have dis
| onnoorol VHka ,,1n:,c $40 n..:1