Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-11-29
Enects of Forests.

A paper has been prepared by DR.
SchOmburgk, the Director of the BntsnIca
Gardens at kdelaIde, on the influence OF
forests on climate. 1he object of the su'
thor ls to prove that the destruction Oi
forests usually has the effect of reducing
the rainfall, while, on the contrarJ, the
planting of trees broadcast over u country
Is one of the best methods which can be
adopted for smelioratIng its climate and
increasing the annual fall of rain. 1t can
not, indeed, be proved thst the climate OF
South Australia Is altering for the worse
in this respect. In fact. a comparison OF
the meteorological records will show that
! the annual average rainfall for the colony
during the past ten years has been 81 i
inches, as compared with pol inches for
the previous ten years. The fact is, that
IN the agricultural districts of the colony,
and especially in those which were not
originally timOered, the bringing OF the
land into cultivation has had tie effect OF
slightly fayoring the fail of rain. Plowed
land attracts moisture to a much greater
degree than the unbroken sol. In consId.
ering the effect which the removal of for
csts per Sc has in altering the climate In
South Australia, the only direct test cOald
be taken from tAe records issued by the
Government Astronomer Is the experience
of tine neighborhood OF Adelaide. II the
time is divided which has elapsed since
1889, the year Ia which observations were
commenced, into two periods, thers Is
found for the lrst an average rainfall of
1913 inches, and tOr the second one OF 81 Z
Inches. 1t will thus be seen that, on the
whole, the rainfall Al Adelaide is dunn
ishIng, though very slightly, and perhaps
the dIminUtion IN the amount OF timber
may have something 10 do with the change.
DR.. SchOmburgk, III searching for lllustra-
TONS of tee eject of trees on climate, goes
further afield, and bnngs forward some
striking Instances, In which II Is evident
that loss of forests means loss of rainfall,
and vice peTsd. He recalls how the Rus
SLAMS, by burning down some OF the Trans
caucasian forests a. the time Of the strug-
gle with the Circasslans, converted he
country from fertile land into desert,
simply through the cutting of OF tie sup
ply of rain. Similar instances of ram hav-
ing deserted q country denuded of forests
have occurred In the MauTitus, IL Jamaica
the Azores, and, 1t may also be added, To
a still mote remarkable extent in severai
of the smaller West Iadia Islands. No
sooner had the forests OF These places been
destroyed than the springs and rvulets
ceased to flow, the rainfall became Irregu-
Jar, and even the deposition OF dew was
almost entirely checked, On the other
hand, it is generally accepted as fact tnat
Mehemet All increased the fertility 81
Egypt enormously by p anting trees. de
alone planted some 20, 90, 900 on the Del
Ia; his SUCCESSORS followed up the work and
It is noteworthy circumstance that tine
rainfal lose from inches to 80 inches
Planting has also, 1t would seem, produced
remarkable effects In France and Algiers.
Extensive regions have been planted with
gums and other trees. which, for the most
part, grew to be about 30 or 40 feet in
height, aud II is noticed that the quantities
Of rain and dew which now fall on the
adjacent land are double what they for
merly were.