The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-03-25

| able to make to the Roman arms. and
how important its conquest was deemed.
| Asia Miacr. now hardly anything but u
| !rscrt. an unknown region almost 10 us,
| I'd oncc. on the authority Of Gibbon.
! We hundred pnpuinuS cities. Great
| mics. we know. We're gathered there.
| slirh poured their hostile hoods over
| .rrrce. Northern Atriet was the home
| j population and wealth Thrce hun
| jlcd cities acknowledged the sway Of
arthage in the time of her renown. and
he WAS able to contend with Rome for
he supremacy. Libya was once a fer
| egltyti five Christian bishops ard pop
! .tiUliDn of six mill ms. where now are
snly sixty Thousand.
| These Lands were once ii"h and fertile.
| ~ very garden of the earth. Their
| les aud meadows Yielded every fruit
| hnndan:iy. Their hills and mountain
lies were green with Iuxuriant forests.
low what are they? The mere wrecks
# their former greatness. like stranded
nip, upon the shore uf time for men to
saze at and take warning. Mr.. Grnrge
'"npet"nt authorities. puts tit" ease even
lore strongly. ;,nd few will be disposed
~ c"nrrovcrt his statements He SAYS:
There are parts Of Asia Manor p!' North
'rn Africa, Of Greece. anl cycn ni NJ
pine ElrOp9, where CAUSES sec 1T action
~ man have brought the iacc of the
ar'h tn IA dr~oiation as complete as that
Il the moon. and Vet thc> are known to
ave been once covered with luxuriaut
woods, vcrdant pastures, and fertile
meadows, and a dense population for
nrrly inhabited those now louelv dis
tgictS. The ftircSt AID fra tfujcSt pro-
inres nf the Roman Z npirc, once en-
lowed with the greatest superiority of
oil. climate. and position. are completely
| .yhlu>ted Of their fertility. or 50 lmin
shed in their productivcness as. with the
'xrrpti"u OF Il few favored eases that
naye escaped the general ruin. To be no
pager capable al aifnr,lng Sn>tenance to
| riIizcd man. II To this re lin oc ,l,f<pll-
.nn We add the now wasted and solitary
| ills nf Persia and the rem ,ter East that
| honey. we shall see that territory
! ttrycr than all Z rope the abundance
| " which Sustained in b = .oue centuries
plpniatinn scarcely inferior to that If
| he whole Christian world ut the present
| lay. has been ENTIRELY Withdrawn from
| amman use, OF, ut best. is inhabited by
| tribes too few. poor, and uucultivatCd
10 contribute ANYTHING to the general
moral or material interests of mankind.
| The destructive changes occaS,une by
ihe agency OF man upon the TANKS of the
Alps, the Apennnes. the Pyrenees. and
| 'thcr mountain ranges of Central and
Southern Europe, and the progress OF
| physical deterioration. have become SO
| rapid that in some localities single gen
eration has witnessed the beginning and
| rhe end Of the melancholy revolution.'
The destructive changes OF which MI
! Harsh speaks so strongly have been occa
| Toned mainly by the removal of the for
,.>ts, the natural friends aud protectors of
| nan and of the earth. The harmorieS OF
nature were thus broken up and distnrh
nce and destruction came as a matter %.
curse. Undi>tulbed by man. the wo d.
| s"uld maintain themselves. The tree
calling i'll the forest by natural decay or
| from any other cause. would snnn have
It's place filled by another. aud So the sue
eeSsion of vegetable life won'G he main
iaincd from age to a-e. But wll"n the
| trees are swept oil in masses. whef her br
lire or by the axe. whether lay an amy
seeking strategic advantage or The means
u annoying or impnvrri>hjug an enemy.
~ as the result .oithe cupi,llt} az careless
ness of those intent upon prcuuiary gain
The places TINS deund"d of trees often re-
main so. And when in any couutr,
large portions of it's area arc thus from
| ANY cause laid bare. it r"qnircS but lit
| tic consideration OF the subject 10 see that
such Il changed condition of lhe Snrfac,
III u brinI about {" her changes The care
tul observer viii ,,c thai ha,ur.i causes
| not Only produce great and even timex
pected results ia tine field of nature. but
that they are productive also of great
political AND moral results. Within the
memory of the present generation single
article of commerce of vegetable growth.
which England is obliged to import from
mother country. has determ med her Sys-
I'm ni trade with that cruutrv, and in a
measure shaped the policy of her govern
nent-has ruled the rulers themselves.
Locked at in their economical character
alone. the Importance of the forests to any
| civilized country. and their bearing upon
lis welfare and prosperity, will be seen if
We give the subject emily a little attention.
Il i statedon reliable authority that Great
Britain imports every year forest products
amounting i'll value to one hundred mill
ION dollars. If now We add tp tins large
sum ;!ie probable value of similar inpJita-
| lNns into our own and other commercial
Countries, We shall at once have some no
ton of the beating which the products OF
| the forest have upon the general welfare
and comfort of mankind, aud their uearipg
upon national prosperity. How largo an
| element III tie traffic of our own country,
what an important source OF industry land
| therefore of thrift. to us, is its lumber pro-
worthy statistics of this interest. The
census returns are very imperfect. \
| great amount Of lumber i'll the aggregate,
made in thousands Of 6, Adjustments on
our lesser stream. aud away from great
! markets OF the routes Of traffic is never
| reported, and no account is made Of it.
| From particular districts and the well
| known great lumber marts We get most OF
our facts that bear upon this subject, with
| which the public are somewhat familiar.
! 1t is ouly 10y puttlgy these together. aud
making probable IS imat s from th.ln in
Il general way, That we are able 10 come
at the Importance of this branch OF ou;'
wealth aud prosperity.
The census Of 1870 gives as tho report
ed product of lumber in the United States
- ilJ 143 thousand icet. This does not
| include lathS or shingles. The same cen
| s,,S ,,n,,ts Ga oIS ,St., bli bmr,ts rup,,r-