Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-03-28
Forest Heresiea

Institution at New York an interest
ing paper on forest heresies WaS,,read by
George May Powell, Chairman OF the
Forest Committee, which evinceS
great study on the subject and proper
spprecation of its importance. One OF
the most plausible forest heresies Is,
according to Mr.. Powell's theory, that
land il more needed for agriculture
than for timber-growing. In previous
papers he has shown that defOresta-
ton has been the chief cause of climatic
irregularities, which in some long
litudts and attitudes has narrowed th6
fruit and the winter wheat zones to an
extent of financial loss In excess of the
profit of timber stripped from the
region, and also OF agriculture. The
|suddenness of changes of temperature
and moisture from hot to cold and
from cold to hot, from wet to dry and
from dry to wet has likewise resulted
In harm to animal as well as vegetable
life. This in turn has added to the
loss side of the balance-sheet In stock
raising, to say nothing of incaleulable
human life and hygienic conditions
involved. The effect, however, Of
pluyial conditions can be shown to bs
more tangible still. In so regulating
the rainfall that the plants can obtain
food and drink ''in due season" is 6
point OF we'll nigh incalculsble inn
portance. The wonders of agricultural
yield under well regulated irrigatioIE
illustrates this. II plants can have
water when they want it and as they
want it, the result, as is well known, is
almost fabulous when compared with
reverse conditions. An eminent
European scintist is reported to main
tain that 7 900 pounds Of water are re-
quired to develop pound OF barley.
This proportion would 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 skilfnl
h0rift who waters them every day
compared to plants in the same con-
dition in every other respect except
that the latter are drenched once u
week and dried the rest of the time Is
another illustration.
Frequent showers are needed by
plants hardly more as supply Of fluid
than as supply of solid. Much Of plant
food is only edible to the plants as 1t is
held In solution. The plants eat and
drank ut the same time and by the
same processes of vegetable physiology;
therefore their feeding is interrupted
or prevented by irregularities OF
natures fluid supplies. The corn field
refreshed by shower once or twice q
week, instead of receiving the same
amount of water in torrents six weeks
apart, will, other things being equal,
yield fully fifty per cent. more in the
iormer than in the latter case.
Forests in proper positions and pro-
portions will accomplish the needed
regulation of rainfall.
The aggregate average annual
agricultural yield Of large sections OF
ourgrain cotton and fruit growing areas
would through arboreal regulation Of
rainfall be doubled by multiplying
their wooded surface by two and divid-
ing their cultivated surface by the
same divisor-this, not by increasing,
but simply by distribution, of rain
fall. Short crops from drought one
year and rotted ones from excessive
rains another would thus be modified
so as to give these comparative results.
Some estimate that quarter OF 3
country the breadth of ours between
oceans should 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 Mis-
sissippi even, will show that three
fourths of our father lanI had better
he draped in the emerald robes Of the
Forest Queen. The total yield OF
golden grain, of fruits and OF grasses,
and with them Of herds Of cattle and
of sheep, would thus in many region
be more than quadrupled.-Balto.
American.