The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-07-21
The Destruction of Our Forest

A gentlemen of Nebraska writes a
communication deploring the rapid de-
struction of the forests of the country,
in which he buys that railroads play
an important part in tho destruction OF
tim ber, but the fences of. the United
States are really the great consumers
of our trees. This drain is almost be-
yond human computation or belief,
and in every State in the East our
farmers are becoming alarmed as to
what theySshall do for fence timber in
the nextffteen or twenty years. Each
one is yearly economizing more and
more his little store Of timber, but
still he secs it melting away and no
new forest at hand to replace it. Its
an astonishing fact that the fences of
the United States have cost more
than the land, and they are today
tho most valuable class of property in
the country except railroads and real
estate in the cities. Our fences are
now valued at $1,80O,OOO,OoO, and to
keep in repair costs S98,O0O,OO0, an.
nually. In Illinois it is estimated
s2,OoO,OoO, is invested in fences, sixty
per cent. of which are boards, posts
and rail, and forty per cent. wire and
hedges. These fences cost Sl75, ZOO
annually for repairs, and yet Illinois
is one of our now States.
The effect of trees upon tho rainfall
is no longer question. l see meteor
ologist, and geologist, do not agree as
to the connection between the rainfall
of country taken in gross and the
diminutlon or increase of it's forests
A peach tree gives off eighteen
pounds or about two gallons OF mols'
ture every twelve hours. The evap-
oratiou from the earth through trees
is immense; the roots often draw from
springs themselves and throw OF
through their branches great volumes
of humid air. Those who have
watched the effect Of forests on rain
fall say that by commencing at The
edge of any dry belt the forest ane
consequent rainfall may gradually be
extended across the whole of the dry
belt.
That we have wantonl y and shame
fully destroyed our forests, l think
must now be evident to every think
ing man. We cannot undo the past
but we can still provide for the future
if we set about it in earnest and will
sense. What, then, should be done
Let every man remember when ht
felIs tree thicker than his body that
he does an act which he can never
undo and destroys that which in MI
short life he can never replace. Far
mers should plant more hedges, ant
avoid as far as possible the cutting o
young timber for rails. Division ton
ces between farms ought al ways to b.
made of hedges. Strong herd laws
should be passed in the States, an(
stock not allowed to run at large
thus doing away with the necessity
for so many fences. A million O
dead capital in many OF the States
might thus be utilized and brought
into use for other purposes. States
should make appropriations and foster
the replanting of forests. Congress
should enact strong laws for the pro
lection Of timber on the public 10
main, and we shuld have commission
er Of foresty. Overseers OF road:
should be made to plant trees
along the highways at the public ex
pcnse. Railways should be compelled
by law to plant trees along the whole
Of their lines on either side of thu
track. We cannot in one or even two
generations undo all the damage thai
has been done, but by beginning a
once we may still be able to avert 9
timber famine in the United States
The Washington correspondent o
the Baltimore "Sun". writes: at is
very gratifying to record that for The
first time in the long period OF ter
years which nave eIapse since TN
close of the war those who sit in higl
places exhibit no disposition to stl,