Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-03-10
cuestions And Replies. No, u.

/ THE SEASONS pit is held by the best Of
men," that cutting off the forests have
wrought climatic changes whose effects are
disastrous but. not by lessening the rain
fall as has been popularity supposed. The
changes" are in the irregularities of rain
fall and rapidity Of evaporation. The sea
sons run to extremes. so say facts collected
from obSer, alton and record.
The quantity Of water that falls from the
atmosphere is very great, being greatest at
the equator and least at the poles. The
mean quantity for tropical America is rs
inches and for temperate America 80 inches.
The year,, aqueous downfall in Maine is in
the form OF water. feet and II inches. in
the form Of snow, t feet and Il inches, as q
foot Of snow correspond. TO an inch wa
ter. the total downfall is IL inches The
total downfall received BY Hancock is a
inches. or some Is per cent. more than j.
received by Aroostook. In the distribution
o. rain II inches are received in summer
and 10 inches each. in winter. spring and
fall
The total rainfall per year is sufficient to
suhmerge the State to depth Of ; , feet,
or a weight equal to 1 500 tons Of water per
acre. This quan;i,, and weight, with a uni
form distribution, MAY be let down so gently
as not to inJure the tenderest flower. In
these latter DAYS i, ~ too often let down
IN wide spread foods and foundations.
1t is very observable that, as the forest.
art eIS Of, there Is a more frequent with
holding Of the summer rain. till
The Thirsty land i. scorched and dresrv,
Ger hill and valley aud outstr,tched plain"
Anon, the "cloud-ring" breaks aud lets
down deluge Of water. until the unhar-
vested fields become an inland sea. upon
which the commerce Of an empire might
ride, or be wrecked
Ii is the testimony of history that within
the historic period extensive province. in
the Old World well wooded and famou, for
their fertility Of soil. dcnuded Of trees. have
become realms OF de>ola,ion incapable Of
afording sustenanoe 10 civilized man.
How steadily the change" j. progressing
a. oar forests are cut of The climatic
change i, seen in the fuc;uation. and irr..-
ularities in the rainfall 10 the diseases and
insects which invade the fields. in the hungry
wind. v hich lap up the moisture and parch
the earth. in destructive food, and desola,-
ing drouths, items Of annual record. and in
the Siberian winters which have come to
the sunny South" Snow -ba.ling IN the
orange groves of Florida. ,leigh-r!ding ~
the nee sWamps Of Georgia. skating upon
the tributaries Of the RIO Grandc. are not
sport" Of Nature. Her Wind, blow t,r,rr
or finn, in obedience 10 law immu,able and
fixed
The destructive power Of an increased
cooperation With the cause demand. rig.d
investigation. Il l. veil known that the
amount and rapidiiy Of evaporation which
takes place in a coun;r, /. great, increased
by DESTROYING the forests. the effect. are
manifest IA eltrcmes Of wet and dr,. parch-
ing drouih- and furious freshet,. DAYS hot.
nights cold and frosty.
OF the mean quantity Of water which fall,
IN Maine ~ niche, there are but two uars
by which ii can escape, drainage, and c,ag-
Grafton. Fort, per cent runs 81 into the
sea and ~ per cent. i. rc-ab>orbed o, the
atmosphere. Twelve time. a, much water
falls IN the valley of the Mississippi a. i.
discharged by the river. The YEAR,, guam
tit. Of water which i, carried Of in the form
Of ,apor j. estimated at $4,000. 900 900
cubic feet.
The sun and winds are the chief promot-
ers Of the eyaporating process The more
land is cleared and exposed. the more rapid
is the 'aPor escaping process, the quicker
the land becomes thirsty
1t is no longer matter Of CURIOSITY.
doubt or discussion, that an increased eyap-
Grafton takes place in proportion a, the for
e.ts are destroyed the summers become
more tickle, uncertain. and hard 10 please.
Even in the Pine Tree" State. originally
entirely wooded, les, than half Of the total
area, Is forest acreage. The forest area u
Hancock Is less than ihs, Of any other
county, Sagadahoc excepted. In many a
locality they can't boast tree OF sufficient
diameter for hoop-pole, or large enough to
make shoepe OF tooth-pick Axe and
fire have desolated the land
The Great American Desert, vast freei,.s
! plain, whose soil is so dry that upon it.
thousands Of acres nothing but sage-brush
Ia kind Of Hormwoodl can grow. vast ter
rltory, useless except 10 hold the continen,
together. Is witness IN perpefuam Of the
desolation which comes TO treeless regions.
When the Mormons. IS wears since. III
on's banner unflrled" in Salt Lake Valley. i,
vas barren waste, with killing frost. in
every month and with an evaporation equal
to the rainfall. By systematic irrigation
evaporation has been prevented and to-day
the Valley is teeming with flock. and abound
ing with wheat and corn and the finest fruits
In Maine, her continental position. her
humid atmosphere and maritime winds. her
winters long, cold. and frost-bound. the sur
face rough land" may modify the eFec,
Of climatic change, Yet the thoughtless de-
struction Of the forests are affecting the sea
sons-tho' unsupported and overlooked, but
not the less sure
botany IN ScHooLs.-Every person
employed as teacher Of school, in a rural
dis :, should be able to teach the rudi-
ments of botany together with the technical
names. But few teachers really know. or