Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-23
Forests and Fires.

1t is asserted in the newspapers
and the newspapers know all about
farming that our streams are grad
ually diminishing 10 volume, rains
are becoming lts' frequent, storus
more violent, and the general tenn
perature OF the atmosphere increas-
ed, exposing both country towns and
cities 90 such terrible confagrations
as have Cecurredin the northern por-
tons Of this State and in Chicago
That tao country is becoming more
ar,i and That the temperature is ris-
ing i pretty well established man
ui4c.urers and millers, who have EN-.
ployed water power for several years
al inform Us that the streams are be-
coming weaker, and many active
springs have entirely disappeared. -
There il p universal agreement as to
the fact, but considerable diversity of
opinion az 10 the cause, and remedy,
il any, for the diminuton of this
most essential clement, water.
Or Hucesman Of Milwaukee, who
settled in the eastern part Of the
State ii an early period when il was
heavily timbered hiss seen the prim-
eval foresta swept away, and hs as
sociates rain clouds with woods,
leaves and timber, and when these
are cleared away, the clouds have
abandoned their former track and
centre ofrcndezgcus Bat this theo,
~ vii not certainly apply to the
western or prairie portion OF Wiscon-
sin, or the prairie regions OF Illinois.
Here timber has greatly multiplied
and increased; or rather we may
say five times rs much space is now
shaded By the foliage Of trees and
underground 10 when Black Hawk
hunted deer in these parts, and yet
our atmosphere has lost as much hui
Nudity aud increased its caloric as
much as any other part Of the STATE,
La Illinois large tracts ofprairie that
in tho Spring and Winter Of former
years were covered with water have
gradually become dry, and are now
cultivated. No particular effort was
made 20 drain such lands, but herds
OF cattle eat down the grass and left
free outlet for the water, continual
tramping made the earth less porous,
and a surface that formerly absorbed
water like q sponge, became compact
aud shielded with turf that shed
tho rain, ana turned the water into
narrow and definite channels. Every
person acquainted with the prairie
regions Of Illinois is aware Of these
changes. In fact the level plains
around Chicago, in former years,
were under water in spring and win
ter, and the ditching and embanking
Of railroads are about the only arti-
fetal means used to drain these lands
except ordinary cultivation and the
introduction OF domestic animals
Some persons attribute the fierce
heat in the northern part Of the State
50 destructive, a few months since,
to life and property, to the denuding
Of tho soil Of its timber by the i'm
mense numbering manufactories.-
But pine forests have always been Ii
able to great conflagrations, before
the wasteful hand Of civilization
approached them. A timbered re-
gion when it takes fire, heats the
whole atmosphere to point that
makes il fatal to breathe it. A fire fed
by prairie grass never had this effect,
and if tire is what is to be dreaded
in the future, a hotter and more dam
gerous fire can be made from timber
than any other kind of vegetation.
We hardly think that forests are
the panacea they may be of bene-
fit, but like frame building they
may catch fire instead Of quenohing
it.
The end of our researches will be
probably led to the conclusion, that
natural and wild vegetation, wheth-
err Of timber trees or prairie grasses,
has tendency to keep the soil fria-
bic and spongy, and capable Of re-
tanning moisture, and supporting run
ming streams but the occupation Of
the soil by man and domestic ani>
mails renders it compact and close,
and whether shesthed with tame
| grasses or not, it sheds and runs off
the rain aud dew instead of absorb
ing them and whatever impedes or
stops this process will have tendon
ey to restore our water courses 10
their former fitness and regularity.
Small pox pravantativas