The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-25
,,uss YESTERDAY was rainy and

81 M......Il D =
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,.r,be Destruction OF Forests
.,,u Atmospheric Equilibrium oE
a.. probign, Of tho Atmosphere 10 DC
..,,od by tho Relation OF Atmos'
.,sr,c 10 ~tafcrinl Equilibrium.
i,t>rS DiSpnich Provided the reign OF
.,i,c in matter and forces can ue
'V''tI;shed for the WHOLE physical uni.
',, il vil follow that the same law VIII
"a ,-n, f,r any PART Of that universe, Sucn
H''' c.rth itself. Laws have been disco
,s,I "a cxplaip the movements OF the plan'
'.'rr bodies 10 space which. by actual eX
,,,p, hay, been demonstrated TO De
ii.,'.T.yond the shadow Of doubt. Now,
,,n hr,ngn intellect has been enabled by
n,.,, on,I .earching investigation, based upon
>.,a1,r,.n,d facts, 10 iegislate for the heavens,
:. n.,rlI sem strange if We could not re-
.,.,a ,,~ s,cps. come home. and apply the
sa,nc nrirci,.ts 10 earthly affairs. AS the
', 49,, sung, so do We find by actual eX'
pctIencr- o,u
:. ,.ri. ,,ls;a2c. lends enchantneut TO the view,
.rl rlrth., The mountain In Its azure nue..
Fgum In, stars, tuen, let us oescenu u
e,r,,. We will first give the two great laws
,IIn.,ra,ipy the ,cigu Of equality IN matter
ar1 forces. keplcr, after having arrived at
IN, conclusion that the planets reSoived
eIo,, the lin in elliptic orbits. OF which the
.ln VA, ,Gc common focus. discovered. alter
;rrredinlc labor and study, thst the squares
~ ,bc periods Of The plarets, or their times
n revolution in orbit, were ALWAYS propo. =
,nngl 10 The cubes Of tue mean distances
from the sun. That i, taking any two sue.
c,>Siyr pau"t>, and knowing their times OF
r.yolu,Ion III orbit and their mean distances
from thr sun. tuen by squarlng the pc
Rod, aud cubng the mean distances We
can a~ay> form proportion. Hence,
without the Use OF any instrument,
VI ciu ascertain the distance OF any
p,l,r, from The sun by simply knowing lis
lime OF revolution in orbit. Thus, let 4 be
the u,llod ol a planet whose distance from
,ap I'm We wish to lind. Again, let b rep.
rr,eni The PERIOD oi ANY planet, and It's
mean dI,taLc" from the sun. Finally, by \
W viii represent the distance to be found
from The lir,t planet 10 the sun. Then, by
s,uarlu. ,Gc periods and cubing the distances
W have the proportion:
IUur correspondent here lays down the
iormuIa, bat a> We have no algebraic signs,
VI OmI. ill.,
We illustrate in order TO show the mathc-
miiical precision OF this majestic law Of Hep
Ter controlling the planetary orbits. We
conclude. then. that the reign Of equality III
forces + I>FALLIBlY TRUE. Sir Isaac New
lou observing au apple fall" from tree
fiji TO thinking Why ihe apple did not "fall ,
IL Hn opposite direction, or away from the
Garth. From this apparently trivial circum.
Stance uc deuce, q the grand law of gravita-
t:cn--y.Z: that bodies in space attract each
ohcr III proportion to their respective bulks,
and IN inverse ratio with the distance be-
tween The bodies. That, is if the mass
Of QUE body be twice as great as thai
OF tnc other. th, first will exert an attractive
iLLIcncc twice as great as the second, AND
tic attractive IL ilueuce Of each increases as
they approach each other. This We conceive
IL be The lw vi material equilibrium. A:
water seeks lis level, so does matter seek ar
equilibrium. Not one atom Of matter has
ever been added to or sub.racted from any
body IN space since the creation. They were
al 0risl0aly placed in their orbits by the
great FIRST CAUSE. There they have remained
and there they will remain until otherwise
ordered hy INFINITE BESEFiCEECE. Let u;
take, for instance, the case OF nicely
baIanccd scale. Place q pound-weight il
cach plate of the scale. Now, if there were
no friction 10 be overcome, the ten.thou
saudlh par, of pound added to either plate
would instsnt!y destroy the equilibrium
S!Lce, however, in all our mechanical con
u'ances FRICTION enters as disturbing
cAu>". such An amount added as above WouiC
bot disturb the equality. But IN the case
OF space our MINDS cannot well conceive o.
such thing as friction where there Woulc
Ie no material agency TO produce II. Ihere
tore any amount, however small or lDhnltesl'
MAJ, ad.cd 10 or suostIacted from a heaVeniy
aody, would Instantly destroy its equilibrium
\ ArtuUrte 1000 feet long broke and fell
IL Iowa on The l2'h Of February hast. Win
our ccrlc,polGent tells Us whence it came
aud h0% hc Irconciles its effects with bis
theory Z DiSpatch.l Since, then, these two
GIrl laws DO most ipfsllibly establish and
d"monslratt the reign OF equality in matter
ana !crCC> in The economy OF the universe
what deduction do we make for our earth
WINCH lr fraction Of that universe! we
Aus"eT by asserting that the same
principles that apply TO the WHOLE will IN
lh!e cast apply 10 4 PART. Our atmosphere
! 10" regarded rs containing the tour ele
>-Ditrogen, 20.9; oxygen, 1911; car
S'nic acid gas, .000l, and vapor OF water In
proportion not always the same; but we
'o'nh certain amount varying, sccording 10
circumstances, Is always necessary 10 main
ia'h equilibrium. Anything entering as q
Cl'tllb.nS cause 10 destroy this equality IN the
F'o4lchls composing the atmosphere would
necessarily produce such irregularities as
ht0A!@ht. lrcshets. etc. Now, VEGETATION is
An ABSORBENT, RETAISER. AND DISTRIBUTOR
"'hSJc OPERATES IN MAINTAINING ATMOSPHERIC
hVlLLh9ltN BY ABSORBING THE ovERPLUS OF
MOISTURE. II, therefore, this ovsRPLUs were
not absorbed, what results We answer,
disturbing cause would then enter and de-
S''oP Nie equilibrium. Science, therefore,
WIN ths poet, exclalms, Woodman, spare
mat tree e. b. u.
Hctmoad, Va. August %, 1876.
Our correspondent arrives, after long ar
SNlneut, at correct conclusion. We beg
h''D to remeRber that his proposition is very
'liHeIent Irom the proposition that destroy.
'Es forests dlEanisheS the rainfall. The lat.
A's Is absurd. We have always .oontended
iaEi forests are Lcnefjcial-in fact, necessary
- heHent destructive freSkets, washed lands,
''c. lLey also iESNence the ctialate. But
We ~ again that to cut down all the trees
"ouId be to increase the rainfall; because it
would sDcrease solar evaporation.