The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-10-03
The Destruction Of Forests-.How tho
Seat OF Empires Is Converted into
nasart

The Destruction 0fForests..doWt inc
Seat OF Empires is Converted into
Desert.
From the Christian Union)
Its a matter Of general knowledge that
vast reaches Of land once luxuriantly Ter
tile are, to-day, waste deserts. Great
tracts OF Persia, Syria. and Greece. for cx-
ample, the gardens Of antiquity, now lie
arid and desolate under kindless skies
But II curse have fallen on these re-
gions, as superstition holds, It is the curse
OF mans stupidity and greed, not OF Gods
anger. They arc deserts because great
droughts bake and calcine them, And
these droughts belall because the whole
land Is disiorested. 81. u. ia
When the mountains Of the East were
clothed with trees from base 10 summit,
and groves OF oak and willow sheltered
the little streams, grain fields and orchards,
olive and fig abounded, and hillside vine.
yards ripened almost onthc topmost rock.
Husbandmen prospered. Cities grew and
multiplied. Day and night tees exhalcd
fertility, sheltering the little. vines land
rootlets at their feet that held the soil to-
ge,hcr and hid innumerable tiny reser-
vOirs Of water; shading the brooks from
the flerceness Of the southern sun; draw
ing the moisture for their own roots
through natural aqueducts from far.oti
springs; tossing into the heated air from
every lifting Leaf vaporous GOODNESS to
be redistilled into liie;giving rain.
Dead to their usefulness, however, and
careless Of their beauty. greedy men took
counsel together how soonest to clear
away those stately cumberers Of the
ground. For the little money that they
brought, and the little area that they GOV.
cred, those wiseacres cut of their splen-
ded forests. nAs man destroyed his shell.
ter, says Mr.. Hongh, 'the desert .crept on
him step by step, and destroyed his
works" Without the Fproiectionso OF the
trees all the luxuriant underground per-
hhed. Then when tho rains tell, they
soaked through the powdery soil to swell
the rushing streams, making an instant
deluge to be followed by a hopeless
drought. Crops died. Husbandmen starv.
cd or begged. Cities crumbled into ruin.
As the rainfall dwindled more and more,
iamines came that consumed whole tribes
Of innocent men. And fever and pesti-
lence, following after famine, CLEANED
what human harvest that evil reaper left.
Terrible as is. this retrlbution, however,
those ancient barbsrians were not much
guiltier than are we modern Goths, The
average American holds that the pfovi-
dental destiny Of treei Is TO DO cut down,
The pioneers axe would almost find It's
way alone 10 the woods, there, automatic
ally, TO hew and hack til the most inno-
cent sapling iell, $50 used itsbrute strength
TO that destruction, Every summer tour.
ist shudders to recall the endless miles oil
parched road blistering In the sun, the
staring schoolhouse at Hthe cross roads,
seeming % crackle with heat, the bare
iarm'houses white.hot In their unshelter'
eedyards, which everywhere distinguish
ais dear, his native land. And II some
!ate relenting woodman spare his tree. or
1.-THE forests Of halEbarren wastes escape
me u, Is there not the rushing locomotive
ever ready TO drop Its tatal,spark into the
andery under. brush? a -.
Whilethis destruction sweeps on, swift.
paced, under, the name Of land improve.
ment or oil accident, almost no PREPARATION
made, Our temperate climate and vast
territory will long defy the famine and
gestlence which we ienorantly Invite
bai they cannot postpone the s,erility
which even now threatens vast sections
MI Hough recommends, therefore, thai
me various States should take Legislative
Sclion on this matter of forest culture
avoiding allinyasion OF private rights. IL
proposes: -. -
!. The Withholding from sale Of land
returning TO the State for non.payment o
@&es, as well as Of lands chiefly valuabl,
,St TIMBER, establishing laws by which
ae STATE might receive the profit Of ne
eeSsaty thinning out ,..ag..,-.....--.
IL The exemption Of timber landl
rom taxation Tor u limited time, and The
Offering Of premiums for lands enclosed
'Vs NE culture oil forest trees,
III: The Offering OF premiums to conn
aes, towns, and individuals for the great
@t number Of trees successfully PLANTED
~. The requiring Of railways snt
highways TO plant trees along their route
" The Imposition Of o tfee.tax psys