, 1880-09-20
Dr0ushts and Forests.

The extreme dryness and consequent
want of moisture for fertilization of the
fields in parts of India and China
hitherto fruitful and thickly populated
is attributed to the wanton destruction
of the forests on the hill-sides.
In 1879 Mr.. Hilliard visited the
famine stricken province of Shang ST,
in China. and after giving heart -rend-
ing details of the terrible effects of the
| famine-details too painful to state
found in these famine districts, that
the trees had been extensively destroy
and attributes the want of moisture and
the consequent infertility of the soil to
this cause. In the northwest provinces
of India an enormous quantity Of wood
was cut from the hillsides and noun
| tains for the construction of railroads,
in consequence of which the coil has
been torn from the mountain sides by
torrents and precipitated in the valley S
below, bringing ruin and destruction
upon what were formerly well culti-
waited fields. The same results have
been observed in the Caucasus, where
the extensive cutting down of the tim Der
around Tihis has had the effect of dry
ing up the earth and diminishing the
volume of water necessary for the fcrtili-
zation of the valleys, where also famine
is apprehended. A large portion of
Persia has suffered in the same way
from like causes over long period Of
years-a part of Persia which must
have been exceedingly fruitful from the
accounts given of 1t by ancient writ
ers.
Observations made in France by Mr..
Matthew and by Mr.. Frutral over a
period Of four years, by different meth
DDS, as to the effect under trees and the
effect in treeless plains. led to
the same general results, which
are as follows: That it rains more
abUndantly over forests than over open
ground. especially when the trees
are in leaf; that the air above the forest
is more saturated with moisture than
over the open ground; that the leaves
OF trees intercept one-third, and in sono
trees half of the rainfall, and that me
leaves and branches restrain the evapor
alton of the water which reaches the
ground, moistening the earth four times
as much as it is moistened by the rain
tlls,t lpOu ODSu plGllS-
l have been thus particular in emu
merating the terrible effects that have
recently taken place in China and in
India, because have frequently here
tofore in my addresses referred to the
excessive and wanton destruction of
forests and OF the trees upon hillsides
in this country, and to the inevitable
consequences which Will ultimately
follow from it-a destruction which is
still wantonly going on, showing an
ignorance on the part of our people and
government as gross as that which has
produced such calamitous effects in
China, India and Persia.
A large portion of Northern Africa,
now a sandy desert, was once a fertile
country, and we'll populated, as We
know from ruins and tombs that are
still standing in what is now q vast
desert OF sand-an effect brought about
by the wholesale destruction of trees
and The neglect to replace them by re-
planting. Numerous instances might
also be referred to of like effects IL
certain parts of Europe, where now.
however, rigorous laws are enforced
for the preservation of forests, by com
pelling the-replanting of trees to repair
the consequences of cutting them down
for TIMBER and also to other parts of
the world, where upon what were once
extensive fertile tracts nothing now re-
mains but sandy desolation.
Prosperous, fertile and wonderfully
productive as our own country now is,
if this wholesale destruction of trees is
permitted to go OF without any meas
ures to compel replanting, the like re-
suits will follow here, and in some parts
will be more rapid than in others. Our
national government is now directing
inquiry to this subject, but our State
governments, so far as know, have
done nothing; and yet it is by them
chiefly that proper laws should be en-
acted and enforced to prevent what
may ultimately prove great national
| calamity.
WOMEN IN PARLIANENT.-It is re-
corded that among the persons returned
to the Parliament of 1861 (35, Edward
III.) were Marie, Countesse de Norff;
Alianor, Countesse de Ormond; Phil
lippa, Countesse March; Agnes, Count
esse de Pembroke. and Catherine,
Countesse de Athol." In the preceding