The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-12-27
y ;,,,ro tho r;ohts of settlers.

ali the torrents of the mountains and I
all the rivers of the plains are brought !
nnder the control of man, and nearly
all the level land of these great wastes
are rendered fertile and pOpulous tand
prosperous.
American enterprise will apply IT,
self to these works as it has already |
applied itself to the construction OF
railroads. Capitalists will discover
that at comparatively small cost they
can carry the waters OF lakes anu
rivers for many miles and conVeiC
wastes Of land which they receive DIS
gift into gardens OF fertllltys Oh III
meuse value; while the GoVernmenO
will obtain in it's reserved secIlollo an
equally large quantity OF land Tor dls-
tribution among the people unoei Cno
preemption and homestead laws
The highest craftsmanship is tha1
which calls out the capabilities ana
sudden resources of nature, ana illus
adds to the happiness OF man:
Another and a more surprising re-
snlt will follow irrigation III our lnte
rior portions Of the continent. -
We find everywhere in the Worlo
that the density in the growth OF the
laroer forms of vegetable life, the
trees. is in exact proportion to the
humidity of the atmosphere. Hence
az we recede from the oceans, the
narents of the rain, we find the ali
becoming drier, and the growth OF
the timber decreasing, until having
PASSED the region of the pralrles inter-
spersed with groves and forests, we
come at last to the great JreelesS
plains where, in some places, even
the grass refuses to grow.
The absence of forests is simply the
result of the aridity of the atmos-
phere. But it is found that where
The soil is humid trees will flourish
notwithstanding the drynesS OF the
atmosphere. This is shown in those
nortions of the West where clay
, sub-soil exists; there the ram IS helo
in basin, the earth remains moist,
groves and forests arise IN the mldst
, of prairies. If, then, an artlllciai
, humidity can be produced IN the SOIL
bv means Of irrigation, forests can pe
$ produced. -,
. Let us consider this subject in It's
/. several branches:
r 1.-THE NECESSITY FOR TIMBER.
h During the first session OF tnt
d Thirty-Ninth Congress, on the loti
IS dav Of May, 1856, | introduced in TN:
e House the following ,whcl
it was read and agreed to:
e "ResoIred, That in view OF tht
a almost complete absence OF woods an'
IS forests in the interior regions OF tn
q continent, and of their paramount
Is Importance in the settlement ant
ID occupancy of the country. the Com
,e mittee on the Public Lands be direct
in ed to inquire whether asystem canno
Re be devised whereby the planting 0
r woods and forests may be encourages
I'd in regions destitute OF TIMBER D
i'll liberal donations OF public lands /
Mt alternate sections to individuals 0
ne corporations, and the reservation c
e. the adjoining sections by the Govern
ment at an increased price, as III tn
In case of railroad grants; the lands
IT.. granted. or a proportional part Their
ON of. to be planted with trees adapte
a TO the climate and the needs OF til
pit community"
in In answer to inquiries which gre
in out of the resolution, on the 2ot
III June. 1865, Hon. J. NJ. Edmund
on then Commissioner Of the Gener
Land Office, in a communication
in the Committee on the Public Land
of said:
of ..The subject of inquiry is,one
on vast importance to the future OF tn
les country. \ large portion of the va
ice region between the Mississippi al
Mt Pacific is wholly destitute of timbe
far and this restitution is. the great a.
es- principal hinderance 70 the rapid
es- vance of settlements. These va
of treeless plains and plateaus Will
by rendered habitable only by the pr
ity ence of trees and groves, which "
fertilize and moisten the soil ,softena
,on modify the climate, and protect m
ere and animals from the blighting effe'
ole of the dry and searching winds viii
,wo now almost desolate that region.
nd A few facts will suggest the imp
) Of lance of trees and their products
the civilized man. Bernard Palsy sal
ing 81 cannot enough detest this thu
the and call it not an error, but Gu
han and calamity to all France. for WI
was all forests shall be cut all arts 81
n a cease, and they which practice tn
.yer shall be driven out to eat grass W
NebuchadneZZar ana the DeaStS
n is the field. I have divers times thou:
rdv, to set down in writing the arts WI
unit shall perish when there shall be
nth no more wood: but after | had writ
iver down great number | did perez
,out that there could be no end to
,,lti- writing. and having diligently con
In cred | fonnd there was not any VIII
wen could be followed without wood. >
In Palissy's appiehensionss of the
,nee struction of the woods of France W
mare we'll founded. Maribeau in 1850 e
-ira. mated the forests of France at Sc,
-o1al teen million hectares, while in 1S6
Iedi. had fallen to eight millions. a los
tbe over one-half in a century.
saa Rentzch. in his work, der Wal
gely page IS. says:
vvnt ..Spain. which by her post
,,ars seemed destined for universal po,
and once. in fact, possessed it.
rate lost her political rank. because III