The true northerner., 1878-05-03

The Destruction of Forests, and Its se-
Qlence.
[From the Scientific Americana

lfrom the Scientific Americana
The matter OF forest-tree culture and
preservation is in rather an anomalous
state in this country. AT one end of the
national domain people are planting
trees and studying every means to turn
denuded lands back into forests; at the
other, woods are being felled, and n
small war is in progress against the Gov
ernment on account of its preventive
efforts. In Massachusetts, societies are
organized to stimulate the preserving
and renewing of forests; in Louisiana,
Alabama, Florida and Montana the au-
thorities are denounced as interfering
with the best interests of the people be-
cause an endeavor is made to stop the
Wholesale denuding of public lands and
sale of the timber for private benefit.
With the legal aspects of this question
OF forest destruction in the South and
West it is not our province to deal, but
the considerations in favor of protecting
woodlands are of Importance not merely
to every agriculturist, but to every one,
and they should be fully realized by all
who believe that the only value of for
ests lies in the amount wood will fetch
per cord.
If any one is disposed to think that
our forests are inexhaustible, a least
for long period to come, he has only
to cast his eyes over the woodland map
in Gen. Walkers valuable statistical at
las to perceive his delusion. He will
see that the number of heavily-wooded
tracts having $50 or more acres of tim
ber to a square mile is startlingly small.
The area of such districts is equal only
to about that of the Atlantic States, and
the remainder of the country, fully four
fifths, has no timber, the map showing
uniform blank. Now consider the
enormous amount of lumber used yearly
in manufactures. Nearly $144, ,000,000
are invested in the sawed-lumber industry
alone, that is, the production of lath,
shingles and boards. Add to this the
fact, stated by Prof. Brewer, that wood
forms the fuel of two-thirds of the popu-
latiun, and the partial fuel of nine
tenths the remaining third, and some
general idea of the enormous drain con-
stantly III progress upon our forests will
be reached. This, however, is only the
direct draught for purposes of utility.
Immense areas OF woodland are yearly
denuded by forest fires, large tracts are
purposely burned as speedy way of
clearing, and thus the wooded regions
are rendered more and more sparse. If
forest fires were prevented as far as is
practicable, if trees were constantly be-
ing planted, and if the reckless denuda-
ton of woodlands could be stopped oy
the laws already in existence, but appar-
emily not enforced, there is little doubt
but that we possess timber enough to
supply indefinitely all our needs either
as fuel or for manufacturing purposes;
but save in isolated instances trees are
not being planted, We have no schools of
forestry such as exist in Europe to en-.
courage sylviculture, and. as the recent
proceedings in Congress have shown, a
part of the population claims the right
for private ends to denude the woodlands
now owned by the whole country. nd
defenders in the Legislature are not
wanting to support them.
We have already taken occasion to
point out the dangers which result from
tree destruction. The exact relation of
forests and rainfall is not definitely set
tied; but there are very numerous cases
| on record where the destruction of for
ests has resulted in the production of
desert wastes, and where trees have
been replanted humidity has returned.
1t is laid down, however, by such au-
thorities as DIR. j. Croumbie Brown, of
| Scotland, and others who have made
special studies of the subject, that
"within their own limits and near their
own borders, forests maintain a more
uniform degree of humidity in the at
mosphere than is observed in cleared
grounds. They tend to promote the
frequency of showers, and if they do not
augment the amount of precipitation
they probably equallze its distribution
through the different seasons" SIN
India" says Mr.. B. G.. Northrop, in a
late address before the Connecticut State
Board of Agriculture, three-quarters
of million people have been starved to
death since the forests have been cut off,
causing the springs to dry up"
1t is needless to multiply warnings of
this kind. In the thickly-settled coun-
tries of Europe each generation is
bound by law to leave the forests in as
good condition as it found them. For
ests are protected from fire. and they
are regarded as public property. Until
we adopt some similar course each sue
ceeding generation will transmit to pos
terity woodlands more and more depict.
ed. The result is only a question Of
time. The natives of parts of South AT.
RIGA tell of giant trees and forests, fer
tile land and abundant floods anG
showers, all existing or occurring in 9
region now little more than an arid des
ert. Such will be the traditions of theil
own descendants. AS the soil becomes
unfit for agriculture migrations will fol
low, favored regions will receive al
overplus of population which canno
obtain all its supplies from the soil, ant
dependence upon other nations fol
necessaries of life, the first step down
ward in a country's decadence, is taken
Exhaustion of resources must ultimately
succeed, and with it the end of nationa
existence.