The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-04-01

"t the world. But it had long been know
also as a region of floods The Theiss
AS it's source in the CaIpathian Noun
AIMS on the north. Formerly these wer'
IynScly wooded and they sent down thri,
! waters. whether rains or melting SHOWS
lto the valley of the hciSs with III
even. steady flow. But the unreStraineo
reed and recklessness of mau rava.co
ain Hanks to sun and wind. The unim,
| prdcd waters first washed tine sol! of tn,
fountains down into the stream below
! Then wearing channels for themselves.
! i:ey have cut these channels deeper and
| ittper from Year to year, and as they
save done SO, they have torn the noun
ne rocks aud gravel onward with resist
.,.as bower tor hundreds of miles. Thus
! rhe bed Of the rheiSs has been graal-
lilly filled up with the detIitus of thu
| upper country. until the river flows on d
higher level than the adjacent land. and
| the inhabitants have been Obliged t" dixie
| ne sides OF the stream rs the price o:
rieir own prottciion from ruin. Bnr
,,nw and then t!:a rain cr;nes. a. at SIC
! .:r,lIn. BY the torrents which have hurlr.
! De debris 0t the mountain sides up"n
| the trItii" fields Of the valleys below.
| IN one district the population dechne'I
| ) goo in five wears from this cause, til,
| people being driven from their former
homes ani obliged to take up their resi-
| ,ience elsewhere But where this has
not been the result. the almost yearly
recurring floods have been attended with
great loss OF property and the sacrifice
If many lives. In recent flood in the
! valley of the Garonnc it was estimated
! mat 900 lives were lost. and Il place OF
30 0O0 inhabitants was almost blotted
out of existence. while property 70 the
| amount Of 800 0GN 0G9 francs was de
| >troyed. These destructive effects OF
| Hood, and torrents had been experienced
IN some measure for a long time. But
with the more rapid clearing away OF
! the forests. which dates from the time
! If the French Revolution in 1,>9, these
| evil effects lad became more frequent as
we'll AZ more disastrous. SO far had this
work of destruction and this real impov-
! rii>hmeut OF the people eNtenaed, and 50
| threatening had become the prospect OF
farther and most serious national loss,
that about thirty years ago the matter
was taken in hand BY the government.
and vigorous measures adopted for the
F.! purpose OF alre>tin~ the evil. if posi-
| bic. and Tecla.miug the injured soft. In
vcstigating commissions We're appointed.
and The most careful examinations were
mace by competent engineers and sclcn-
! tiiic experts, the result of which was the
enactment OF a code fur rcfpresting the
mountains. Under this code a large eN-
| penditure was authorized to be made an
| nuGlly by the government for u period OF
| ten years, for the purpose Of replanting
| those districts which had been stripped
OF their trees. and which had thereby
| given occasion to the torrents. The
| right OF eminent domain was asserted.
| No one was how at liberty to remove at
! his pleasure the trees growing upon his
OWL ground. lie could cut them only
under governmental direction. and in a
WAY that would not lie ininrions to 9th
er>: for 1t was seen that some peasant,
| living high up i'll the Alps, and DESTROYS
| OF extending his pasture ground 10y cut
/ ting oil the forests around him, mi hit
! by So Going give origin to a torrent
| which w:u.d carry destruction to the
| fields OF some one miles below. perhaps
! to the fields Of whole village.
| Where the fields have been laid bare.
! the government offers aid to those who
| need it i'll rcplantin@ them. If any will
! not. with this aid. set about the work OF
replanting. the authorities having the
work of ratore>ting in charge take pos
session of the lands and repIant them.
| The owner has the right of redeeming
his land at any time within five years
after the r"p}anting by the government
has been completed. Oh condition of pay
| ing the cost of the labor expended prin
| crpal and interest. or by surrendering
half Of his land. in case this is not done.
the government.
To do the work contemplated by the
! French code is by no means easy. When
an Alpine torrent has rent a gap in the
mountain. and gone laundering down its
| flank fur miles. gashing and decorating it
| in every direction, it becomes Il case ri
! ful surgery to close the i'right!ul wound.
| and restore the whole t. soundue,s: to
replace the trees, aud while they are get
| ting the growth that will enable them to
| discharge the office of forests. to fix such
! Temporary barriers as will prevent the
! continuance of The torrentlal flow of the
rains and melting SHOWS. There are me
| riianiGal and vegetable laws to be studied.
| There are nice plans of engineering. to be
| formed and executed. Here are pccu-
| Ii&ritics uf climate aud niaHy meteoro-
| logical facts to be taken into account.
| There is also needed careful oversight
| al the LANDS ad jacent to the scene at
| operations. lest ANY ignorant or malici 'us
| person shall do something to hinder or
defeat the worl; undertaken.
So important place have the forests
come to occupy iii the estimation OF Eu-
| aS sources ot fuel and lumber as we'll as
! ti:cir relations to agriculture, to climate,
and to health. that the care and manage
! meut of them have become onp Of the
most Important cmploynents OF private
Land holders. and Of the many cory o. 'e
bodies, intending states ami kingdoms.
which are the possessors of forest de-
taaius. Tie state forests of France, for
Instance. amount t. 5000 eco aclcS. il is
| said. and yield an annual revenue Of So
800 GOO. Many of the provinces and de-
pa 'nt''hi> ais" are iatS" forest Pl"lfi'-
| tor. ",,n.i.y h.ls ..b"|t .5,ti2n.litp
acres III iure>I. nearly one-tn1ld ot " E:ch
belongs t" the state, ore->iNth To tAc
ro,ununrs and Sunacw hat less than one
| htlj to private individuals. Other Eu
| r,paan countries have larger forest areas,
with corespondiugly larger revenues.
| tbs Ge&o4u,~ed l4Eo!taace Of the forest
interest has led To tie establishment in
most European counties of what ave