Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-09-26
Forests and Rainfall,

Forests and Rain. fall.
Mr.. Haldeman. of Pennsylvania. cae,e
very near carrying through the House,
on Tuesday tlast, his bill to encourage the
planting Of trees and for the preservation
of woods on the public. domain. The
vote stood 81 to 8S: SO that change Of
four votes only would have carried it
The bill was good one. and the. neees--
sity of some such Law Will every succeedr
ing year make itself more and more APP
parent. We are go accustomed to the
ring of the woodm ian 8 age that we have
faded to consider the consequences that
will inevitably follow the, destruction sf
our forests. These consequences are -
fact apparent already ip the. OLDER States
rim the protraeted dreugbts,. the Lessen
ing volume of our water courses. and tao
sudden and disastrous foods. instead OF
regular and temperate rains. by which
We are visited. sa
Our climate is a peculiar one. We
have almost arctic winters and semi
tropical sunmers-the temperature rang
ing during tie year from below zero to
over hundred degrees Fahrenhein This
distinction hetweep the Seasons will be-
come more sharply defined. and the
aridity Of our summers will increase with
the gradual disappearance of our forests.
In bis speech before the House on this
important subject, Mr.. HaldesD an cited a
large number o1Aushorities, 10 evidence
of the truth ofthe following propositions:
1st. That forests well distributed pro-
mote mildness and equability of climate.
End. That they regulate the rain fall.
aud preserve tue country from wasting
jroughts., >,
Srd That they are conservative Of the
volume of rivere. and their easy uaviga-
ton
4.h. That they act as storage reser-
voirs of moisture, and these give per-
manence end abundance to natural
springs.
9th. That they act as pseventives of
miasmatic influences.
9th. That they operate as permanent
check upon inundations aud destructive
freshets. D.! " E ;
! There is not one Of the points laid
down above that osanot be defended and
substautiated by evidence of the most in
disputabls character. The experience of
FL. history shows that the destruction Of
forests is followed by droughts, aridity.
and barreuness, tue disappearance Of
natural springs and consequent shrink
sge in the volume Of streams and rivers.
Mr.. Haldeman quoted Boussingault to
the effect that very large elearings dimia
ish the rain fall, aud also the conclusions
reached by Saviguat-wbo has made d
profound study of the subject-tLas
forests diminish evaporation" and that
"it has been established, in wooded coun-
tries. that it rains of,ener. and that iAe
quantity Of rain being equal, they are
more humid"
Becquersl furnishes ,be explaaa alton -
He remarks that forests contribute to
the formation Of springs. not only by
reason of the humidity which they pro-.
dues, and the obstacles sthey oppose to
the evaporation of tie water which falls
on the surface, but farther because Of the
roots Of the trees which. by dividing the
soil, render it more pervioue. aud thus
facilitate infiltration." IT, 4
The observation Of every person iiviu9
in the vicinity of great woods teaches him
that the surface. covered with filling
leaves and decaying vegetable fibre, il
spensy. and that through this sporgy
mass fine rooslsts ranify in every dires-
tiou, forming perfect net work beneath
{ the leaves and promoting the absorption
I of ell the rain that falls. When tie
wood is cut of and the surface laid bare
BY tie pillow. the amount Of evaporation in
our hot summers is enormous, the springs
fail. the rivulsts dry up, and the s,raame
to which they wore tributaries diminish
The rain-fall is no longer as evenly die
tributed. but is held back and discharg-
ed ct longer Intervals in immense guam
sisies. which q instead Of being absorbed
by the soil. flows overit.. and where the
water sheds are extensive, produces those
terrible foods 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 shruck SO much in volume, that SO
years ego the Patspsco was navigabe for
ships of bur,hen to Elkridge, whilst now
a..vessel drawing 4 feet Of water could
SCARCELY reach that village. For nine
months Of last year 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 viii be still less, as many farmers in
chat part Of Baltimore county complain
that the springs are lower than they have
have ever known them; whilst on some
farms they have failed entirely. These
are serioss matters. The consequences
that flow from the marked and sudden
alterations of temperature, the shrinkage
of our rivers, the aridity Of the soil, the
wsshing droughts. and tremendous
foods. are largely due to the cause to
which Mr.. Haldeman ascribes taem.-
Baltimore Gazette.
Oxen. il properly treated. are a solera-
bly, safe storehouse lof working power.
When rot at work. they are laying on
flesh which Is worth so much per pound
l. .c>I~ .,..l,..