The daily gazette., 1877-07-27
PLANT TREES.

~ iAIaf ~ 81 . %
We are pleased to notice that the south.
ern Pacific r Raiiroad corporation are making
preparations for planting out eucaiypti
along the line of their road in s ,uthern
California Major e. Locke, OF Pasadena,
10 raising 250 600 OF these useful trees to be
set out as above stated. Toe wisdom Of
THIS course is seli-evident. The railroad
corporation will iu time grow suffi !ient
timber for renewals and construction, and
oy hatInz II on the spot when wanted will
economize time and stve carnage. 70 But
apa't ON Tins strictly business fsa,ure the
p antDg OF so many trees must have a de-
tideG influence ON the cImat,. Trees at-I
tract m noisture-.ome kinds more than
othefs+-ss. tor ex ample, the piue, which
bas been proved to be best for this purpose.
Bnt the Australian b ue gum Is Quick
growing tree, and IS valuable ror its timber
end the excellent shelter It aft ,rds 1t is,
however, quite sgtItton, aud mOnopclizes
he soil Ia which it Is plantedln 20 d ra,
bic numbers. But too many OF tnese trees
cannot bs grown IN the southern sections Of
the State, where live tiiHDt'r Is scarce. In
deed, rnuch of the drought from wi hieh sec-
lions OF California suffer Is traceable to the
wholesale destruction OF trees. And the
work OF for st demolition goes on apace,
lhhe perfection of centuries Of gtowth being
the present or prospective injury Inflicted
upon the country. The northern sections
\ Feujoy sea+onable showers simply because
tiey are wooded. Along the foothills and
on the wooded ranges and raviues The ram
fall is much greater than on the plains.
This is equally true of all countries. Scien-
uhc mn in Europe have been greatly
struck b. the gradual decrease of water in
the rivers and springs during the present
Nl...a 4 Al. II 4
wi hin the p ist fifty years has beeu IL inches;
in the Rhine the average decrease has been
"a inches IN the Vistu A. 26 inchee, and in
tile Oier, IL inches. The assigned cause is
decrease in atmospher c mois ure by the
constant devastation of forests. Trees al
trait moisture from the atmosphese and
convey 1t to the soil aud thence to ths
sources of streams, but when forests are de-
stroyed atmospheric moisture is not con-
densed, springs and rivulets dry up, and
great rivers, as we have SEEN, di charge o
much reduced volume of water. The effect
Of this up IN climate and agriculture cannot
be over-' stlmated. But the waste of for
ests may be in measure repaired ny gen
eral aud systematic planting of shade trees
for ornament and lumber, as the Southern
Pacific X liiroad corporation propose doing.
The Central Pacific RAILROAD Company have
set out some 10000 eucalyptI aIoug their
track. and private indHduals have done
something 10 the same direction. but much
more yet remains to be done. Other eoun-
tries have taken active measures in this
direction also. The forestry department of
the Indian government Is changing the
climatic and industrial conditions of Hin>
dostan. Frunee Is reolaimIng the Algerian
deserts BY means of farborioulture; The rows
OF mulberry planted along the line of the
SueZ Canal have SO modified the climate of
that part OF Egypt that showers are frequent
and verdure so abounds that English capi-
talists prop pse to bring large aIeas un Ter
! cultivation by the same means. The Aus
( tralidn colonies have likewise taken meas.
ures plant tress on their arid plans, and
New ,aland, remarkably well-woodcd
and we'll watered country, has created a
| department of forestry to repair the waste
caused by lulnbermen and bush fires. In
the e stern st tes, along the Valley of the
Mississippi, and in the Gulf States as well,
public attention is directed 70 this vital
question. Minnesota, however, taks the
4 lead 10 arboriculture in this country, and
has incorpDra'ed it into it's public-school
systeIn. Here Is an ex ract from an & < hange
i bearing upon the mater in hand, which wo
commend to attention of school trustees
throughout Gallo as worthy of imia-
tiou 'Ou the 29th ult., which was class
tree panting>dsy at the Normal School at
St. Cloud, Mluntsots, the five asses with
the model department, set out iu the ground
about 80 trees-5ox, elder, elm, and map Q!
Some of the young ladies entered into the
workwlth enthusiasm, "-Sqn francisco
(CdlD Post, ..r .... ...,. a.