The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-06-04
Spare the Forests.

Spare the Forests.
Allnding TO the recent extensive forest
fires in New York, Pennsylvania, and
New Jersey, and instancing the fact that
cUnfiag graiions of such magnitude at this
season of the year, were heretofore al
most entirely unknown in this country,
the Cincinnati Commercial, in a well
timed editorial, attributes the cause to
the widespread destruction of forests,
which has induced great and deplora-
BILE change of climate-of alternating
drnuth and freshet in extremes. Ii says:
In the early history of the country,
when the hills and valleys were covered
with forest trees, drouth was almost un-
known. There were exceptional years
when the rainfall was slight, and along
the water sheds dividing the lakes from
the rivers, and the seaboard from the in
terror, there would be a slight drouth
generally in August or September, but
they were not of long continuance or Sc
we're. The springs did not fail, nor the
brooks dry up. The forests protected
the soil and retained the moisture. Fiv-
ers like the Ohio were navigable nearly
the year round, and there were neither
the great freshets nor the extreme low
water with which we are now familiar.
The seasons were more regular, and the
extremes of heat and cold not so great a.
now. This is the testimony of men who
have lived 10 see the hills and valleys
denuded, and timber, once so plentiful.
almost as scarce and costly as in Europe.
To be sure. there are vast timber regions
yet remaining untouched, and patches OF
woodland are reserved upon almost ev
cry farm of any considerable extent.
But the destruction has been enormous,
and the waste prodigal.
The mistake of the pioneers was in
stripping their cleared fields Of all tim
ber, leaving no trees standing even along
the water courses or the farm boundaries
for shade and protection. The wood
mans axe spared nothing. Any one who
has been in a "clearing." and seen how
whole forests have been swept away,
the trees being first eirdled and then
filled, and but small portion Of the
timber converted into any useful pur-
pose, but simply made into a log heap,
with the brush atop, and burned, can
understand how prodigal the pioneer was
of that which, had it been spared, would
now be worth more than the land itself.
Nothing even yet amazes a foreigner
of wood in this country. He has been
taught to value a tree, the growth Of a
hundred, perhaps FIVE hundred years, for
what it is worth, almost venerates it as
it lifts its green top to the sunshine and
the breeze.
The time is at hand when our own
people will keenly regret the loss Of the
forest lands, and when the Legislatures
of the States will be constrained to enact
forest laws for the protection of timber,
as they have been compelled TO do for
the protection of game. 1t is Of much
more importance, indeed, that a good
system Of forestry should he established
than even that game should be preserved
from extinction by statutory provision.
We can do without the game, but the
timber we must have. Legislation en-
conraging the planting Of trees should
not be postponed. The farmers of this
and other States should in some way be
stimulated to the planting, not only set
ting apart acres for forest use, but mark
ing the divisions of. their farms and the
water courses by rows of trees, whose
wood will be valuable for timber, fuel
&c.
ways disfguring to landscape, will have
to be abandoned. The expense of keep.
ing them in repair and building new
ones is the heaviest tax upon the shoul.
ders of the agriculturist. Substitutes ot
stone and iron, a hedge row and ditches
will have to be resorted to. The use o
timber in the construction of the build
ings of the future. as well on the farm
as in the city or village, will be greatly
restricted. The cost of the material
will of itself operate as check. So, al
so, "the wood fire" will have to be econ
omized. as it is in Europe and instead o
| telling great trees, burning the brush a
worthless and cording up the spill
trunks to be burnt in open fre-places
our people will he satisfied TO burn tn,
trunks for fuel, cutting down no tree
but those which have died and shoulC
give place TO a new growth.
If it IL desiro BILE to protect the coun
try from frequent and excessive drought
restore the springs and brooks, which ar,
failing and drying mp, avoid excessiv,
freshets, and soften the rigors Of the eli
mate so that it shall be neither so hot IL
summer nor so cold in winter as il nov
is, making it proveTbial the world owe
for its extremes and its sndden change
if these things are desirable, our peo
pie must go a. work and plant trees b,
the hundred and thousand, and have
| care Inat lne area OF our forest lan'
does not further diminish. If he win
makes Two blades of grass grow wher
one did is TO be regarded as a beaefactOr
how much more is he entitled TO th
thanks Of the community who multiple
trees in the section of land over whicl
he has exclusive Jurisdiction.
!
\ Sunny Temper.