Connecticut western news., 1875-07-02
The Destruction of Our Forests.

A gentleman of Nebraska writes 8 communication deploring the rapid de
 struction of the forests of the country,
 in which he says that railroads play an
 important part in the destruction oi timber, but the fences of the United States are really the great consumers ot
 our trees. This drain is almost beyond human computation or belief, and in every State in the East our farmers are becoming alarmed as to what they shall do for fence timber in the next fifteen or twenty years. Each one is yearly econo- mixing more and more his little store of timber, but still he sees it melting away and no new forests at hand to replace it. It is an astonishing fact that the fences of the United States have cost more than the land, and they are to-day the most valuable class of property in the coun- try except railroads and real estate in the cities r. Our fences are. now valued at costs m $ss, s,0oo, ,660 annSSaily. h nlinois iii n it is estimated $2, ,OOO, 900 is invested in fences,. sixty per cent. of which are boards, post and rail, and forty per cent. $175, ,000 annually for repairs, and yet 1u1uOlS IS Ol10 Cl OuE u0W DUtU0Ss
 The effect of trees upon the rainfall is no longer question. see meteorolo- gists and geologists do not agree as to the connection between the rainfall of a country taken in gross and the diminu- tionl or increase of it's forests. A peach tree gives off eighteen pounds or about two gallons of moisture every twelve hours. The evaporation from the earth through trees is immense the roots often draw from springs themselves and throw off through their branches great volumes of humid air. Those who have watched the effect of forests on rainfall say that by commencing at the edge of any dry belt the forests and consequent rainfall may gradually be extended across the whole of the dry belt. 'N ''
 That we have wantonly and shame. fully destroyed our forests, think must now be evident to every thinking man. We cannot undo the past, but we can still provide for the future if we set about it in earnest and with sense. What, then, should be done? Let every man remember when he fells g tree thicker than his body that he does an act which he can never undo and de- stroys that which in his short life he cad never replace. Farmers should plant more hedges, and avoid as far as possible the cutting of young timber, for rails. Division fences between farms ought al- ways to be made of hedges. Strong herd laws should be passed in the States, and; stock not allowed to run. ait large, thus doing away, with the necessity for so many fences A million of dead capital in many of the States might thus be utilized v and brought into use for other opnrposes!o2 States should make ppropriations and foster the replantingI of forests. Congress should enact strong laws for the protection of timber on the public domain,I and we should have 8 commissioner of forestry.q' Overseers of roads should ,bo made to plant trees along the, highways st. the public ex- pense. Railways should be compelled by law to plant trees along the whole of their lines on eitheraside of stheN track. We rcamotn incone or even two genera tions undo all the damage that has been done, but by beginning at once we may still be able to avert timber famine in the United States. ..'