The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-24
House OF REPRESENTATIVES,
,oS. ID. C.. January 81, 1878.
lie, Us Save Our Forests.

EIitors of Dispatch: When our Wnole
State is being torn to pieces ana immense
damage done 10 all sorts OF property lying
along our water-courses-the great prooo-
cling ground-the wealth OF our state-!s II
not time to betake ourselves TO serious
thought. and prompt, advantageous iessl'c
ton, to prevent the Wanton destruction oi
timber in the mountainous and highland
districts, and the consequent destruction OF
so much valuable property along these
streams? Those who have timbered LANDS
are 10th to consider and slow to see the ill.,
Jury done their neighbors and the reflex in
fiuence uron their own prosperity by not
withholding the axe from the tree; butthey
mast consider these things and act with rca-
SON or they will entail upon their children,
IL not upon their own old age, the
serious, the dreadful, consequences n
foretastc Of which VIC have lately
floods. 1t is the watersheds : the
wooded land-the foliage that causes
both more gradual descent: OF the rain
and retains it longer when it falls. II these
be DESTROYED no estimate can be formed OF
the rapidity of the rainfall and OF the de-
yastatng torrents that sweep from the
cleared, hard, sun-dried mountain sorges
into the flooded and destroying streams OF
the lowlands. All nature calls for uni
form distribution Of woods and helds, ana
when no regard is paid to these laws OF ma
ture we may reasonably expect the froWn-
ing clouds to break forth in sudden and Ie-
hement rebuke and chastlsement as they
become surcharged with the watery ele-
ment. What faithful parent does not live
yea, live and 6ie-for the good Of his chill
dren? What patriot can work but for the
good o. the next as well as this genera
ton? Shall we now incur debt-a legacy
for our children-for the building OF q rail-
road along the fertile valley Of the James
and fail to provide for its safety from de-
struction? This railroad Is att-int-
portant to Richmond as well as
10 TIE whole Of Virginia. The freight
OF the Great West is pressing for these
low grades and easy curvatures IL the
great dividing ridge, and we must at all
hazards meet our western friends half way
with this most important river road; but
we should not forget the, influence OF
forestry and arboriculture upon its future:
1t is the great arorIc OF salvation for our old
Commonwealth. The valley Of the James
will, with its successful working, soon be
feeming with wealthy villages and fields
will be the revenue Of the State. Let US,
therefore, now begin to work, by suitable
legislation and otherwise, for its protection
against the increase OF floods and conse-
able to hand down to our posterlty State
improvements that will be public benefits,
self-sustaining and self-surporting, instead
Of an everlasting tax to the State and cities,
and disappointment to those who manage
them. The resetting Of trees could not, OF
course, be largely gone into at once (thouSh
that interest might be encouraged, for the
profit from it is not so remote as many
might at first thought think), but check
ing OF the wastefu destruction OF trees
would soon make its influence visible upon
the James river and every valley OF the
State. We should remember that, besides
the James, every fertile valley OF the state
has OF late years been much deprecated IN
value by the increasing floods. the hazard
OF crops Of all kinds has been so great that
much revenue has been lost both to the in
dipidual and State. The thoughtless dis
position to recede them from these UNI
certain, oft-flooded lands, to clear OIL still
more OF the highland, has increased the
trouble that many thus try to escape. The
principle Is the same for ell districts ana
streams The individual acts make up the
aggregate and the small streams make up
the large ones. The highlander and low
lander Should view this matter with lib
eral view to the general good; for while
they may not see it in the same light, their
interests are the same, and they should
be willing TO work for the same good cause.
A provident Creator has bestowed upon us
rare blessings in these forests, to soften the
eold.wintry blast, to cool parching summer
air, to be mediator between wet and dry,
preventing the too rapid evaporation of the
showers that fall, holding moist breath
within the foliage, causing constant an
terchange OF watery yapor from sky to earth
and from earth to sky, inhaling the noXions
yapors from many a surrounding field and
turning them to good account while the
cool summer shade Is ever MONDAY re-
treat for the humblest animal that treads
our fields, and should be carefully guarded
by all who have at heart the present and
future good OF our State and our posterity.
Hoping TO hear from some one who can
properly argue this important question,
and that you, Messrs. Editors, will stir UP
this interest, submit the above. w.
Members Of the VIRGINIA Legislature