The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-03-28
AGRICULTURAL.
Fere& Hereaiss.

Th following is the substance of a paper
read before the American Institute at New
York, recently, by George May Powell, chair
man Of the forest committee: One OF the
most plausible forest heresies is, that land is
more needed for agriculture than for timber
growing. We have shown than deforestation
has been the chief cause of climatic Irregular
titles, which in some longtudes and ATTITUDES
has narrowed the fruit and the winter wheat
zones to an extent Of financial loss in excess
of the profit of the sale of timber stripped
from the region, and also of agriculture. The
suddenness of changes of temperature and
moisture, from hot to cold and cold to hot;
from wet to dry and dry to wet, has likewise
resulted In harm to animal as we'll as to vege-
table life. This in turn has added to the
loss side of the balance sheet in stock
raising, to say nothing Of incalculable hu'
man life and hygienic conditions involved.
The effect however of pluvial condition can
be shown to be more tangible still. So
regulating the rainfall that the plants can OBJ
tain food and drink Sin due season." is a
point of well nigh incaleulable Importance.
The wonders agricultural yield under well
regulated Irrigation illustrates this. If plants
can have water when they want it and as
they want 1t the result, as is well known, is
almost fabulous when compared with the re-
verse conditions. An eminent Eupean sci
enlist is reported to maintain that 1000 pounds
Of water are required to develop pound Of
barley. This proportion will bear reducing
ten times, and still be the prime factor in the
problem Of the relation of water to profit
in plant life. The beauty and vigor of
plants in the hands of skilful florist, who
waters them every day, compared to plants in
the same condition in every other respect, ex-
cept that the latter are drenched once a
week, and dried the rest of the time, is
another illustration. Frequent showers are
needed by plants hardly more as supply oil
fluid than as a supply of solid. Much oil
plant food is only edible to the plants as it is
held In solution. The plants eat and drink at
the same time, and by the same process of
vegetable physiology. Therefore, their feed
ing is interrupted, or prevented by Irregular
tiles of natures fluid supplies. The cornfeld
refreshed by shower once or twice week,
instead of receiving the same amount of wa
ter in torrents six weeks apart, will, other
things being equal, yield full fifty per cent.
more in the former than in the latter case.
Forests in proper positions and proportions
will accomplish the needed regulation ofrain.
fall. EITkE gu IN EAg
The aggregate average annual agricultural
yield of large sections of our grain, cotton and
fruit growing areas would, through arboreal
regulation of rainfall, be doubled by multiply.
ing their wooded surfaces by two and divid'
ing their cultivated surfaces by the same di-
visor. This. not by Increasing, but simply by
the distribution OF rainfall. Short crops from
drought one year, and rotted ones from ex.
cessive rams another, would thus be modified
so as to give these comparative results. Some
estimate that a quarter of century the
breadth of ours between oceans would be
wooded to properly conserve these interests.
We think that careful study of the facts on
deserted farms not alone in the South, but in
New England and in the Mississippi basin
even, will show that three-fourths of our faith
er land better be draped with the emerald
robes Of the forest queen. The total yield OF
with them Of herds OF cattle and sheep, would
thus in many regions be more than quadru
pied.