The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-04-11
duty. ba, enabled the United States to

export annually eight million dollars
worth of leather, and if it were known
whence we could obtain the material TO
enable us to tan leather at still less
cost our exports might be increased two
fold to the advantage of that portion our
laboring population.
''The results of the forest fires and
their occurrence and preservation" is the
caption of another chapter, and l would
only ask, if there are not towns and
villages in our Northwestern States that
would have paid the cost of printing this
report could they have been allowed
within the past four year, to circulate
this chapter among their neighbors3
The next chapter speaks of the Gin.
sect ravages of forests, diseases, and
other destroying agencies" What can
be of more immediate interest to the agri-
cultural communities of our country
Entire forest belts are sometimes swept
out of existence by insects, and if in
this chapter we are to be advised of a
remedy, that alone will be worth the cost
of publication.
Next comes The question of the "im-
portance of forests to agriculture. A vital
question; none more so. To-day the
thoughtless farmer fells his forests with
the hope and prospect of immediate gain,
never for one moment believing that the
great cause of agriculture is injured just
to the extent that he assists in denuding
the earth of the covering nature gave it.
IF, by reading this chapter, he can be
restrained and induced to preserve and
indeed increase his forest area, will we
not be amply repaid for the appropria.
tion? From almost every section of our
country comes the vail that the climate
has changed or some other cause exists
that prevents our lands producing as
they did years ago. Who can say that
the destruction of our forests is not the
cause of this mysterious change. Per-
haps there are data enough in this chap
ter to satisfy the thoughtful agriculturist.
This is followed by chapter or disser.
tation upon the manner in which the
forests of Europe are managed. Are We
too old to learn from these experienced
scientists? Years ago the farmers Of
Europe we're as reckless and thoughtless
as are the farmers of America, and to-day
they realize the folly of their reckless
ness. The annual fresbets of the Pc and
| other European rivers are national ca
Iamities. Their cause is directly as
cribed to the destruction of the forests
upon the adjacent hillsides. No one can
tell how many millions of acres of fertile
low lands have in this country been
rendered hopelessly barren from the
same cause. Torrents of rainfall are
annually washing from our denuded hill
sides gulches of barren sand upon our
| irrevocably ruined bottom lands, while
the soluble fertility is swept BY the
rivers current into the ocean. Let US
learn from those more experienced q
lesson as to how to arrest this accelerated
| progress to destruction. If Europe has
| discovered that q preservation of her
forests is preservation of her soil, let US
become adopts in this school of learning.
| If the luxuriant leaves of our forest trees
check the fall, and the myriad rootlets
retard the flow of rain-water that fre-
auently pours from our summers clouds
| at the rate of an inch in depth to a
minute of time, then let us cherish the
trunks that bear those leaves and encour-
age the growth of those miniature root
lets.
Europe has her schools of forestry, and
the next chapter in this -eport treats oi
that subject. Are we too learned to re.
ceive instruction from this source also I
IF this report tells us what Europe is
doing, let us know the fact, and let our
farmers learn what older nations are do
ing upon subject of such vital impor
tance to their vocation.
But the last chapter is perhaps the
most important, and that treats of the
influence of forests on climate Mr.,
Speaker, who can tell Us to-day what
effect this denudation of our country
has upon our climate? Why the sudden
and Unprecedented changes in our eli.
Innate in almost every section of this broad
land? Whence the cause of the periodic
droughts annually experienced now. a.
days throughout our cotton belt2 Nc
one can say that denudation and conse.
quent rapid evaporation is not the cause
Mr.. Speaker, these are the various
topics treated Of in tie first volume oi
this report. The second volume is one
of statistics, which we do not ask tc
have published, but which, I believe
should appear with the other as informa
ton for the people.
have made Il calculation of the cos
of publishing $4,000 copies of this re-
port, provided it covers no more thar
ESQ pages. 1t will not exceed S11 200.
Mr.. Singleton-Did you get that from
the Public Printer?
| Mr.. Aiken-Yes; and I can state an
other fact for the benefit of this House
and I beg the members to hear and re-
member it. While $4,000 copies of thi!
report, if published by the government
printing establishment here in Washing
ton, where house rent, fuel and gas art
supplied at the expense Of the govern
ment, will cost Sll 200, i! can take th'
very same job to Philadelphia and bay'
it done by private parties for $4,000
Fifty thousand copies of this work vii
cost but $4,000, and 100000 copie
would not cost as much as you pay t
three or four officials of this government
in the shape OF annual salaries, and i
was for the printing of this last numbe
that the Committee on Agriculture asked
in their report. I submit, Mr.. Speaker
that the report of the Committee OF
Printing, proposing to publish onl.
5000 copies of this volume, which con
tains so much invaluable information
upon the agricultural and manufacturing
. industries of our country, is unreasona
bly, economical, and 1. trust the Hous
will adopt my amendment proposing t
F publish $4,000 copies.
Mr.. Singleton-The Committee OF
Printing have no feeling about this mat
ter. I desire to lay before the Hous
what the Committee on Agriculture die
The gentleman has told but part;
wish to tell the balance. The committe
recommended to the House the publica
ton of 100000 copies of this report, EN-
, bracing 1850 pages, $50 pages of whic
the Committee on Printing propose t
, strike out, because the gentleman VIII
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