, 1874-04-11

What Our Fences Cost--Destructlon ot
Timber for RaiIroad-Ties.
Letter from Gen. Brisbin 10 Sena-
tor Hitchcock.

! other day that tho President had made tho pres
| eryatlon Of our forests the subject Of special
| message to Congress, and recommended the pas
| sage Of su act creating Commissioner OF For
| estry. l doubt it wiser recommendation has
| been mads by any President, and hope Con-
| gross will not adjourn without acting upon that
| message. None but those who have made treo-
| growing aud the criminal waste Of timber, .
careful study, can appreciate the necessity Of
| legislation on this subject. We have now left
untouched, in the whole United States, but
ONE REALLY GREAT TRACT
| OF timber consisting OF about one-hs1f OF WASH
| iugton Territory and third Of Oregon Califo1-
| MIA las, perhaps 600, GOO acres Of forest: one
| half of which has been cut away within the last
| two years; but that 6tato aware OF the future
necessity, and kecnly alive to the depletion OF
| our forests, has already commenced the cultiva-
ton Of the Australia,-a tree that grows rapidly
! and to great size.
| New York has lost her maple, walnut, hickory,
| and has now NO considerable forest left except
| what is to be found in her Adirondacks. The
Wisconsin forests arc In process ofrapd deetyuc-
t,on,-no less than ESQ., 600 900 feet having been
cut in single year. Tens Of thousands of logs
| are annually RATED down the Mississippi to
| towns in Iowa, wheEo they are cut into lumber.
! One frm.-Young l. Co.. am told, have mill
| ut Clinton, Ia. that runs 20O eaws and three
fourths of all the lumber thoy cut goes to kausaa
| aud Nebraska. In one year, 185, 900 feet OF
| Wisconsin logs wore cut in Iowa aud predict
| that it the present destruction goes on in ten
or twenty years at most, not only the forests OF
| Wisconsin, but Michigan and Minnesota, will be
| SWEPT AWAY.
| Only consider for moment TINT sc, 600 acres OF
| Wisconsin timber arc cut annually to supply the
| and AnhrnAEa market AIOua Thu Cnp-
| inaW forests arc now practically destroyed aud
| il the Northern Pacific Railroad should be built
it will open up and subject to the az the Oregon
| aud Washington Territory forests, and then the
| last gtcat belt OF American timber will be de-
stroyed. Let us 1T lenst save, and use with
economy, the magnificent yellow fir trees (many
of them 800 foot Lgh) that cover this portion Of
| our public domain
tend with viii be the railroads. Thoy already
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY MILLIONS OF TIES ASNU-
ALLY,
aud our railroading hrs but Just begun. Ties
have to be replaced every seren years; and, when
require I'll tue young tree1 in the country to
supply the demand for ties. tie. AZ every one
knows, is made from young timber the trees be-
ing only to 10 inches in diameter. and few trees
will cut more than two ties.
There can no longer be any doubt that the
rainfall and water-courses OF country are
GREATLY AFFECTED Be ITS FORESTS.
4 peach-treo will give off Is pounds, about
2 gallons, Of moisture every twelve kours. The
evaporation, then, from tho earth through trees
must be immense. the roots often drawing from,
underground springs, and throwing or through
their branches yaBt volumes OF humid air. Is
pecally is this truo OF Kansas and Nebraska,
whore, ut depth Of some 20 feet. whito sand is
struck which s 80 full Of water that, in many
places, aubtc-raneous streams have been
formed, and nro frequently struck when boring
shafts for wolls.
I think the great currents Of air which leavo
the Pacific Coast humid and warm empty in
SHOWS on the Rocky Mountains and, leaving
the mountains dry, they sweep over the Great
Plains, finding no moisture to take up until they
pass over the Missouri and Mississippi, when,
and Wisconsin. In Wyoming Territory, ~ ne
know. the dearth is almost complete but, in
Nebraska, the heavi]y-timbered heads OF her
streams give some humidity, and the clouds
Niobrara, Plates, Elkhorn, and Missouri. Those
who have watched the effec. OF forests On raiu-
falls say that, By commencing at the edge Of
dry bolt, the forests, md consequent rain-falls.
may gradually be extended ACROSS the whole OF
the dry belt. So We might commouce here at
Omaha, and by gradually planting trees west
ward increase the humidity OF the atmosphere,
until the required moisture for rain il reached
ALL OVER TIE DRT PLAINS.
The deplornble result OF the loss Of timber is
pEV4A
Loaf 1S per coat Of its flow in consequence Of
cutting away OF the trees along its banks, ex~
posing it's waters to the hot sum- and consequent
increased evaporation. The island Of Santa
Cruz, III the West Indies, which, Twenty-Five
years ago. WAS garden Of fertility. Is now !,
desert almost,-the result OF cutting away
the forests. Tho theory is that the dry cur
rents Of air are retarded by forests, and elevated
until point OF condensation is reached. Radi-
alton is also prevented, tho air colied, and the
clouds passing. over forests are rendered
moro easily condensed: Electricity is also
great agent, the treees being negatively charged,
and drawing with great power the positively
charged clouds. This theory is no longer doubt
or experiment, but positive fact, demonstrated
By experience and knowledge OF the laws that
govern the atmosphere. know you agree With
me- IN these views, and 1t Was conviction that
they are correct which led you to frame and have
passed your great tlmher,gro"lnE bill, giving
overy person LOU actes 3. OF me @ pubic lands who
would plant aoo keep IN good e. G5der Tor ten
years forty acres o1 TIMBER. y That law, as
amended A. thls session OF congress- 1 think,
ls SEAAt1 fERFEc1,
and Goes you efcat cted1t as wise la"-g1Ver.
bnI ~ nos GUY II nx EnLope, @ out IN Amenea, e IL