Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-08-24

DIR. Oswald in an able easay on
Weather Factories " in the current
number of the International Review
gives the results of some historical re-
search into the subject which are start
ling in the warning they give to mod
ern man. The denudation of the for
ests has turned Asia Minor from u
luxuriant garden to bowling, blind
ing, thirsty desert. The past and pres
ent condition Of Asia Minor can be
approximated if one imagines what
would be the appearance of Massachu-
setts after Il twelve days visitation
from a sand storm. The luxuriant
vegetation of Central Asia even in the
days of the Roman Empire of the
West surpassed anything of the kind
that can be attained to-day on the
American continent by cultivation. In
an area Of thirty thousand square
miles Mthridates raised armies that
for twenty-five years defied the all
conquering hCsts Of Rome. Cyrus the
Great passed his vacations in Babylon,
in "a region Of perpetual spring"
where now the sand storms have cover
ed the gigantic ruins of that once
mighty city. There was a time when
Greek emperors located their country
seats in Central Asia and enchanted
by delightful climate and perfect
scenery Greek could forget his ma
tive land. But the destroying axe
worked steadily on the protecting for
ests and to-day the meadow brooks are
gone, the lovely dells and cool retreats
are no more and the rich stretches Of
productive land have vanished The
traveller meets only weary wastes of
waterless deserts, binding sand storms
and insufferable heat. Asia Minor no
longer needs armies to repel her enc
mics. The hre-wind Of the Arabian
desert is an eitectual protection against
invaders.
Europe in the destruction of her
forests has been following in the foot
steps of Asia. There was time in
Italy when winters were sharp and
cold, when it was yearly occurrence
to see the yellow Tiber ice-bound.
Now the winter season brings warm,
wet, unhealthful weather and the sum-
mers are hot and dry. Southern Eu-
rope is fading as Africa did twelve
centuries ago. Italy is preparing the
way for visitations from Siroccos.
Portions Of the once fertile coasts Of
Spain are degenerating into treeless
deserts. The sand drifts struck the
west coast of France near Cape Bre
ton in the seventeenth century and
| their encroachments drove half IL hun
dred hamlets from arabic soil to loca-
tions further landward, until the pro.
prietor of an endangered farm stopped
the work of destruction by protecting
his garden with brush wattles. The
abundance of forests in America has
thus far prevented any serious climatic
changes although the effects Of strip.
ping the hills Of trees are already be.
ginning to appear. Within the last
forty years the temperature of the five
mountain states of the Alleghanies
has steadily moderated in winter and
increased in summer. Streams in the
southern states, which in the first half
of the century were solidly frozen
every winter have been ice covered but
once or twice in the last fifteen years
Ia Western Pennsylvania and West
Virginia heavy snow storms have be.
come shorter in duration and come at
longer intervals. In the gulf states
and the West Indies the clearing of
the forests has already produced ex.
tensive sand barrens.
Experience dearly bought has taught
the value and necessity OF tree culture.
The manufacture of weather is des-
tined to become a science. The de.
stroyer has already turned too many
lands of Eden into uninhabitable des.
ers. The imperial council of Russia
has sanctioned amendments to legisla.
tive acts which provide for the taking
of measures to improve the climatic
condition of southern Russia. The
destruction of trees has reduced the
lowlands in France in value at least
one-half, and those of Africa, Asia
Minor, Syria, Armenia, Persia, Greece
and Spain eighty per cent. A scien.
tifc system of tree culture has enabled
the dwellers on the coast of Europe to
reclaim ten thousand acres per year in
Denmark, Belgium and eastern Prus-
sia. The planting of umbrella pines
in portions of Belgium has more than
doubled the average monthly rain fall
in summer. and decreased it in winter.
In 1882 Mehemet Ali undertook to
reclaim the sand plains on the coast of
Egypt. Fifteen millions of fruit and
forest trees were planted, eighty per
cent. of which took root and flourished.
The result has been that the average
yearly rain fall has increased from 0.
| 10 A inohas and tho averoun tenn npro.