Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-10-27
THE FOREST CONGRESS.

One of the most curious, il not one of the
most useful gatherings connected with the
Vienna Exposition, has recently adjourned.
1t was, to quote the title in full, the First In
ternational Congress of the Land and Forest
Culturists-the object being the due preserva-
ton and cultivation Of forests. America was
not represented, but should have been. 1t is
true that the first thing an American settler
usually finds himself called upon to do is to
cut and slash among the trees, and his son Is
apt to keep up the warfare for profit, ii not
from the necessity of clearing sufficient
ground for cultivation. But with the third or
fourth generation the duty often changes into
one of guarding and saving the woods which
| the axe or the fire may ave spared; while
other settlers pushing out on the pTairies are
troubled BY the baroness of the land and are
| as glad to transplant trees as their ancestors
were to cut them down. Large tracts at the
West are now being sowed with the seeds of
forest trees, with a view of promoting the
comfort of the communities, of making good
| investments, and of effecting climatic changes.
Much would undoubtedly have been learned
| in these respects from participation in the
Vienna Congress.
American statistics were used there even
by foreigners. With regard to the effect on
rivers of cutting off forests, it was stated that
the Ohio River in the first quarter of the GEN.
fury was navigable the whole year for the
Largest vessels, where it is now available but
for six months, and is steadily growing shall
lower 1t is the same with the Hudson, that
is, the navigation grows more and more diff
cult, and "but for the large annual outlays
for the improvement of its channels and the
construction of artificial remedies, the upper
portion of the river, between New Baltimore
and Troy, would long since have been practi-
| cally closed to commerce." The facts with
regard to eral European rivers are still
more marked. The Rhine, the Elbe and the
/ Oder all have lower water mark than
formerly. Several streams, once considerable,
have totally disappeared, or have been re-
duced to mere rivulets by the reckless Telling
of forests along their banks and around theiI
, sources. The classic lands of antiquity af
ford many such examples. The springs ant
brooks of Palestine are dry, and the fruitful
ness of the land has disappeared. The Jor
dan is four feet lower than it was in the New
Testament daya.
OF course, this drying up of the streams in
$ dicates general process of sterility. Thu
soil is not only deprived of its needed moist
ure, but is exposed to sudden foundations ant
is laid bare to the winds, cold or scorching
+ according to the season or climate. ASH
. Minor and Greece, Hungary, Sardinia ant
Sicily are no longer the fruitful countries they
once were. Austria, and still more, Prussia
0 on the other hand, have systematically pre-
served and even extended their fOrests-as
will have been learned from our foreign cor
respondence of late-and the result is to re.
tain their productiveness unimpaited. The
climate of upper Egypt, it is stated, has been
sensibly improved since Mehemet Ali caused
10000 Of trees to be planted-the average
number of rainy days in year having in
creased from five or six to upward of forty.
Even since the construction Of the Suez Canal
similar results have been witnessed. Ismai-
la is built on what was sandy desert, but
since the ground has been saturated with
canal water, trees, bushes and plants have
> sprung up as if by magic, and with the reap
h pearance of the vegetation the climate hal
4 changed. The time is not far distant wher
all such facts will be collated, and the jus
relations of wood. to the advantage and healtl
S of communities will be deduced. In our dry
and changeable climate, the knowledge 0
such laws will be particularly valuable.-Bos
ton Journal.