Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1877-12-13
AH2ic go 7A'-.,
EFFECT or FORESTS o.
RAIN.

We have always oeen sonle"n "'
skeptical in regard to the alleged IN
Auence Of cutting down or planting
trees upon the amount of rain IN any
particular locality. The data on
which conclusions have been reached
have been too limited, in our view, to
establish them as matter of cause
and effect. But the subject is one OF
much interest and is worthy Of being
kept before the minds Of scisntitic men.
Chambers Journal has an article on
the subject, from which We make the
following extract.
"Toresss, have a fourfold effect on
climate and rainfall. There is the
chemical action of their leaves, which
decompose the carbonic acid Of the
air, fixing the carbon in their woody
tissue, and liberating the oxygen.
There is their physical action, in
hindering evaporation and stopping
currents of air, and in covering the
ground with vegetable mould which
holds water like sponge. And there
is the organic action of the leaves
which, in breathing, restore to the air
a part Of the water which the roots
have drained from the soil. Lastly,
there is the mechanical action Of the
roots, which at once prevent tins earth
from being washed away by rain, and
also enable the water to filter down
deep into the ground, Forests, then,
ought to make a country cooler by
withdrawing the carbon from the ar
the heat that is set free when wood ia
burned is the very heat that was being
absorbed while it WAS growing. A
forest may be looked on as vast con-
densing apparatus for storing up the
heat Of the atmosphere. That is what
theory says, and experience confirms
it. The mean temperature Of wood
Ell country is always lower than that
Of a similarly situated treelees coun-
try; but (and this is importantly the
cold is less extreme, as we'll as the
heat, and changes Of temperature are
gradual. OF course, since rain comes
because the air is to cool to hold its
moisture any longer in solution. there
ought to be mole rain in a wooded
than in a treeless district and sc
there is-from Elk to eight per cent
as NJ. Fautrat found by putting W
several rain-gauges, some in a forest
seven yards above the tree'tops' others
on treeless ground some two hundred
yards off. Bare soil soon gets heated
and heats the surrounding air. This
expands, rises, and absorbs, without
condensing them, the vapors brought
BY the sea-winds. Rain only comes
in such q district when contrary
wind meets this hot current, packs itt
layers one on another, and as it were
soueezes out wet from them. Hence
such rain, due to atmospheric pertur
bation,' generally comes in floods, un'
like the gentle natural rainfall of for
est land. Storms are rare III wooded
countries, the electricity Of tie all
being gradually drawn off instead Of
accommodating. Hail especially is rare
where there are many trees. NJ. Can
tcgoil has tracked many Of the hail
storms 80 destructive in France, and
has found that they generally make a
leap over a forest. Early in June
1874, for instance, hailstorm which
had swept over tie department Of
Ariege, entered that Of Aude. AS
soon q, it got to the forest land, the
hail totally ceased but when it reach
ee the treeless department Of the
Eastean Pyrenees, it began again with
great fury;yet there was electricity
enough in the air over tho forests, for
several fr-trees were struck and shiv-
cred to pieces"
PROPORTION OF GRAIN TO STRAW
The question has no doubt often
arisen as to the relative weight Of
grain and straw in wheat, oat or
other grain crop-that is, in ton of
grain in the straw, as it comes from
the field, what proportion is grain and