The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-26
Forests as Protection Against Drought,

Forests as Protection Against Drought.
Some may ask, why are forests neces-
sary9 Is not any portion left IN forest 50
much unproductive capital2 And does
not a wise economy demand that these
unprodactiye forests should be cleared
up as soon as the owner can command
the means, and the whole country be
made productive2 These are important
questions. and should receive answers.
If trees are of no service in the economy
of nature except to furnish fuel and tim
Der, then any surplus beyond these wants
is q useless drawback on the productive
ness of any country. "Cut it down
why cumbereth it the ground s'
But there are other reasons why forests
should be spared, and one Is their con-
troll over extreme fluctuations in the rain
fall of any region. The researches OF
modern science, accurate and careful OBJ
servation, as well as the history of the
past, show that a country abounding in
forests is more moist, has more cOpioue
and equable rainfall, abounds more In
springs and streams, and, as conse-
quence of all these, Is more exempt from
great and sudden fluctuations in temper
ature, from late frosts in spring and
early frosts in the fall.
Thus Egypt, from the earliest periods
of history, has been spoken of as rain
less region but since Mahomet Ali has
made his immense plantations of trees,
showers have become frequent. The
controlling influence of forests over
rain-falls, is also shown by the fact that
countries once supplied with forests, and
having abundant rains and immunity
from frost, their forests having been de-
stroyed. have been scoruged by drought
and frost till the forests were restored,
when they once more fruitful or, if the
inhabitants would not restore their pro-
tecting forests, the stern hand of famine
threatened to wipe out a race that would
not reverence the order of nature.
Thus the Cape de Verde Islands, SO
named from their greenness, have been
stripped of their forests by their improvi-
dent inhabitants, since which time they
suffer terribly from periodical droughts,
sometimes no rain falling for three years
at q time, and sc, coo inhabitants, or one
third of the population, have perished.
Thus famine cuts down the inhabitants
as pitilessly as they cut down the pro-
tecting trees. ItIhas been proposed to
replant the forests, yet such is the igno-
rance and indolence of the inhabitants,
that little has been done toward restora-
ton, and it is probable that the entire
those who have learned that the st tree Of
the field is mans life. Prof R. c,
Kedzic.
Health Hints.
CURE FOR CHILBLANs.-Som one say
chilblains and frosted feet may be cureC
by pouring kerosene oil on the stocking:
when on the feet, and repeating it whe1
the stockings are changed. Another ex
1l<N,1H - a04
water in which potatoes have beer
boiled.
DIARRHEA.- correspondent of thu
Country Gentleman presents the follow
ing remedy for diarrhea, which he neve,
knew to fail in the past twenty-five yearz
of its use in his family: It Is simply
dose of laudanum and oil, tablespoonful
of castor oil with twenty drops of lauda
mum in it. The laudanum acts as al
astringent, and the oil heals and carries
off the effects of the disease.
CURE FOR CRoUP. the symp
toms appear, Immediately fold q towel
dip it in cold water and apply it to tn
child's breast and throat then wrap
blanket closely around him. Or, bath
the feet well in warm water, at the sam
time rubbing the throat and breast witt
mutton tallow or goose grease then en-
velop in q warm blanket. Either o
these modes viii check the disease till th
arrival of physician, and in many case
will of themselves effect cure.
How TO CURE A SORE THRoAT.-" On
who has tried it - communicates the fol
lowing seasonable item about curing sor
throats to the New York Herald "Le
each one of your half million readers bu
at any drug store one ounce of camphol
ated oil and five cents worth of chlorat
| of potash. Whenever any soreness aI
pears in the throat put the potash in hal
a tumbler of water, and with it gargle til
throat thoroughly. then rub the nee
thoroughly with the camphorated oil a
night before going to bed, and also pi
| around the throat small strip of woole
flannel. This is a simple, cheap and sur
remedy. ''-R,trat NeaO Yorker.
Sharp Boys.
The Harrisburg Penn.) Ietegap
says: g The small boy (or o number G
him) of Ridge avenue has been in th
habit of coasting down Herr street, fro1
the Ridge to Pennsylvania avenue. TIL
residents of Herr street didn like that
it made the street too icy and slippery
and SO they threatened the boys with a
imaginary ordinance forbidding coast
ing but the boys had 'em by sayin
they used the middle of the street to d
their coasting, and they defied the oil
'uns. Then q policeman was statione
to stop them on the crossing but he wa
in SO much danger of having his leg
knocked from under him, and he wa
compelled to keep SO continual q dodc
ing, that he gave it up in disgust The
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