Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-16
Forest Culture and Rain.

AMONG the interesting papers read at
the session In Portland of the American
Association for the Advancement of Sci
ence, was one on the preservation of for
ests The writer discussed the influence
of forests on climate, rainfall. etc. and
recommended legislation to regulate. pro-
| mote, and protect the growth of forests:
By Withholding from sale lands returning
to its possession from on-payment Of
taxes; by exempting from taxation for a
limited period and by offering bounties
for lands planted and inclosed for the
| growth of forest trees; by offering re-
wards for the largest number of trees
planted in a year; by requiring railroad
| and turnpike companies to plant the sides
OF their roads with trees; by imposing
| tree-tax, payable by planting trees; by
| fixing penalties for the destruction of
| trees by the wayside, or in public or pri-
vate grounds; byrequirlng the elements of
| forest culture to be tau rht in our public
| schools. There was a general discussion
| of this subject by the Association, and a
| committee was appointed to memorialize
| Congress thereon.
The Eagle has on several occasions in
| the past urged the great Importance of
forest conservation, not only on account
| of climatic influences and effects, but for
reasons of political economy as well,
| looking to the period not far in the
future when timber forests will be among
the most valuable and needed pos
sessions in this country. The
manner in which timber has been wasted
and destroyed hitherto, in the course of
| settlement and improvement of our vast
domain, may be fly described by the
| single word reckless OF late, thinking
people in all parts of the land begin to
realize the fact. There is really no need
to diminish any more the area Of wood
land, certainly not for a century to come.
1t may be reduced in the thickly timber
ed parts, but it may be allowed to grow
and increase everywhere else. There is
room enough and good soil enough,
properly managed, to support a populas
ton within the boundaries of the United
States equal to half the population of the
| entire globe, and yet leave one-third the
surface of the country covered with
thrifty timber. And, in fact, one of the
most necessary conditions of supporting
such population, and Of proper manage
ment of the soil for all the purposes of
living, is the intelligent culture of forests
For multitude of uses wood must be
superseded by mineral productions; by
| iron, copper, tin, zinc, etc But there
|
wood-at least we cannot conceive of any
such change in human needs and con-
ditions as to do away with such necessity.
| But we may doubt, after all, the wis
dom of some Of the measures of the leg
| islation proposed. We have already laws
| giving land premiums for certain
amount of tree-culture; but they are not
worth the paper on which they are writ
ten as an incentive. And, as to some of
the methods proposed, the people have
their eyes open and are already adopting
them in some localities. Trees are plants
| Of slow growth, however, and the care
stimulated by judicious legislation will
aid in promoting their culture and guard
ing against wasteful destruction. Many
people doubt that the apparent climatic
changes in this country are at all due to
the destruction of forests. In the last
three years we have experienced UMPIRE
cedented droughts, and these have been
aggravated, as many think, by the cutting
away of the forests. But, on the other
hand, many deny that there is any mater
ial decrease in the average annual amount
of RAINFALL and they deny that the area
of forest verdure is diminished A little
reflection will serve to convince
that it is not as much diminished as is
often estimated. There are many citizens
of Michigan, for instance, who confident
ly assert that forest growth and leaves ac-
tually cover larger proportion of the
State now than forty or even thirty years
ago. The early settlers in this valley well
remember that they could drive a car
riage over thousands and thousands
of acres of "openings or prairie
lands that are now covered with a thick
growth of young trees from five to fifty
feet in height. But it does not follow
from this fact that the amount of forest
growth has no influence upon the produc-
ton of rain clouds and the average rain
fall. On the Western plains, and on
toward the Pacific, wherever settlement
has protected and increased the growth of
the verdure, the supply of water has visi-
bly, increased. This may be partly due to
other causes, but the general current Of
testimony in this and the old world is in
favor of the the theory that forest supply
and abundant moisture are reciprocally
related.-Gr0nd Rapids (lKtch.) Eagle.
|