The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-12-27
vienna September Doth, 1873

N OhNO- - EAoNH NbA1 INV ~
Rivcr.-Need Of international Treatie. for
the Protection Of European River Conn
nscrce. -
Vienna September Doth, 1873.
The most important Congress held this year in
Vienna was closed yesterday. The first Interna-
tional Congress Of Land and Forest Culturists.
the members Of which we're yesterday taken on
various excursions, has left behind 1t some ex-
ceedingly valuable resolutions bearing on the
good Of the culturists Of the soil. The first series
Of resolutions were TO petition the Austrian Gov
eminent TO take measures for inauguTating inter
national treaties with other European States for
the purpose of giving protection 70 those birds
which are useful 10 agriculture. In a second Sc
ries Of resolutions the Congress recognized the
fact Of q lack Of n scientific basis for land and
forest culture and that the various governments
must be induced to publish exact statistical COM
p~arative data as TO the condition and progress
made in these departments in the various lands.
The erection of agricultural and forest cultural
experimental stations was likewise urged. The
concluding series Of resolutions were 70 us the
most interesting of all, and referred to a question
which has at last been recognized as vital to our
own agricultural and commercial well-being-the
question of
THE PRESERVATION OF FORESTS.
Tho Congress was made important by the fact
Of it's members being for the most part men of
science and practical culture, and that it was pre-
sided over by the Austrian Minister Of Agricul-
ture, Won C~hlumecky. Several governments sent
] EItEltL 1ALAldaT NhC III
the German, the Belgian, the French, the Hun
garian, not forgetting the United States in the
person of DR.. Warder. Altogether the jury hall
mast have held at least 300 or 400 deputies,
certainly the most intelligent and earnest body of
men that ever assembled in the pavilion, not
excepting the Exposition jurors, who were fire.
quently fetched from the highways and byways
to fill their important positions. Austria played
in the gathering the leading role, which no one
will object to if the Minister Of Agriculture fulflls
] tho prnmisnS he has made of AIDING in CARVING
out the resolutions passed by the Congress. In
closing the meeting he said that he wished the
result of the discussion might not remain idle
words, but that the various governments may be
induced to take an earnest interest in them. He
said : In the resolutions the Congress has left
to the Austrian Government, and to me as the
head Of the Ministry of Agriculture, a series of
missions. l can give you the assurance that l,
for my part, shall do my best to promote and
further what has been done. | will cooperate
with all the means at my command" Thus you
see where Austria finds it necessary for her own
interests she not only gives an official sanction to
the Congress, but allows one Of her Ministers to
be elected President.
THE RESOLUTIONS RESPECTING THE FOREST.
The discussion on forest culture by the Con-
gress was exceedingly interesting and instructive.
The resolutions were supported by a young earnest
and intelligent Prussian ~forest-master, n. a.
Bernhardt. of Neustadt-E berswaide, who made an
interesting, well-worded and convincing speech.
The resolutions as they were then adopted by the
Congress read as follows
The international Congress Land and Forest
Culturists resolve:
l.. We recognize the fact that in order to effect
ually check the continually increasing devastation
of the forest, which is being carried on, interna-
tional agreements are needed, especially in rela-
ton to the preservation and proper cultivation
(for the end in view of those forests lying at the
resources and along the courses of the great rivers,
since it is known that, through their irrational
destruction. the results are a great decrease of the
volume of water, causing detriment to trade and
commerce, the filling up Of the rivers bed with
sand, caving in of the banks and inundation of
agricultural lands along its course.
y. We further recognize 1t to be the mutual
duty of all civilized lands to preserve and Guilt
vate all such forests as are of vital Importance
for the neutrality-suspicious. and otherwise
of the land, such as those ON sandy coasts, on
the sides and crowns as well as on the steep de-
~clivlties of mountains, on the sea coasts and other
exposed places and that international principles
should be laid down., to which the owners of such
protecting or 9 guardian forests be subject,
thus to preserve the land from damage.
5. We recognize further that we have not at
present a sufficient knowledge of the evils dds
turbances in nature) which are caused by devas-
tations of the forests, and, therefore, that the
efforts of legislators should be directed TO causing
exact data to be gathered relating thereto.
\ fourth resolution was to the effect that the
Austrian Ministry of Agriculture should be re-
quested to enter into communication with other
States towards efecting the purpose of the Con-
gress-of attaining international agreements
among other European States respecting the pres
~ervation and culture of the forests.
THE DECREASE OF WATER IN RIVERS.
Much has been written both in Germany and
IN America of the forest and it's influence on eli
mate, and consequently on agriculture, on the
water courses and on health. Instances where
the growth or destruction Of forests have had a
marked influence on the river system, through the
rainfall, can be recorded by the score, not only in
Europe but in the United States. The diminution
of the water volume of the Ohio river is at this
moment attracting serious attention. In the first
quarter of the century it was n%avigable the whole
year for the largest vessels, but is now available
but for six months in the year, and growing
beautifully less" The same thing is said of the
Hudson, as | find in an American article handed
me the other day in the Congress. 1t is notori-
GUS that says my authority, ''even with our
vast northern forest remaining intact, the water
supply of the Hudson grows less with every year,
and its navigation more and more difficult. But
for the large annual OUTLAWS 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 practically closed to commerce" These are
not isolated cases with Us, and | trust Professor
Marsh will include in the new edition of his Man
and Nature-a work largely quoted by German
writer's on the influence of the forest-all the cases
of diminishing rivers that have been noted in the
various States. When the results of deforesta-
ton are seen and appreciated as they show them
selves at home, then we shall be ready to learn
from the experiences of these older and still worse
deforested countries of Europe, though, for the
matter of that, Europeans point to America for
evidences of deforestation in the New England
States and elsewhere, as n warning to their own
countrymen'
EUROPEAN RIVERS.
An Italian referred to the United States in this
connection yesterday. He gave no particulars,
however, and l have no works on American for