The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-03-03
VALUE OP FORESTS.

It IS not alone because OF the growing
scarcity of timber that the destruction
of our forests, particularly in the thick
IL settled sections OF the east, is TO be
deprecated. 1t has long been popular
belief that forest exercise a decidedly
favorable influence on climate and water
supply, and this belief is fully sanction
ed by the results of a series of expert
ments recently made by certain dis:in-
guished French scientists. In the last
issue of the American Naturalist DIR. J.
NJ Anders gives an interesting sum-
ming up of the latest researo hes on the
subject. Forests influence the atmos-
| phere mainly by their effect on its gen
eTal humidity Ar evaporation of mois-
! ture from both earth and trees takes
/ place constantly, The evaporation is
I greater from open soil than from wood
F.! land, but the difference is far more than
! made up by what is called ''tTanGpiTa-
| ton, > Of leaves of the trees. The guam
( tity of the insensible vapOT that is given
/ off through the leaves is immense,
amounting to one and quarter ounces
( to the square foot of leaf surface. Pains
I taking experiment have enabled those
{ studying the matter to make an approx
/ innate estimate OF the comparative
amounts of vapoT given of by earth sur
I face and leaf surface. They have calcu-
lated that square tOot of soil sets free
about six times as much moisture as a
/ square foot of leaf. The surface IS.
J however. many times greater than soil
/ surtace--twelve times greater. the scien-
/ fists put it-so that twice as much eva
/ poration takes place from forests as
/ from open land. When the wood OF
the century is cut away, therefore. 9th
er things being equal, twO-thirds of the
moisture giving material of the atmos-
I phere is gone with 1t. Hence the long
and fearful dTOughts on lands bare of
trees. Commenting upon the live re-
viving eXhalation from trees, the Natlsr-
uljSt writer says:
What an harmonious adoption of
| means to an end does nature exhibit
here-plant life atomizing tons and tons
OF watery vapor into the surrounding
medium. even during time of drought.
ard this same vdpor in turn protecting
/ luNuriant vegetation from evil cOnSe-
quences of terrestrial radiation. Moist
air during winter tends to moderate eX-
treme cold during the summer. on the
contrary, it tends 10 cool the dranghts
hence forests by moistening the air III
summer gives US cool and delightful
breeZes !; another means by which for
ests effect extremes of temperature. -
Forests mOisten the air all about them
They create abundant dews and dews
play no small part in forwarding veceta-
tion. In the dTyest season dew still re-
freshes the paTched earth. Another
benefit, and not the least to be consider.
ed is the good service belts Of woodland
do in protecting vegetation from storms
and icy winds. 1t is very common now
for enlightened farmers in the west and
northwest TO plant dense rows of trees
and hedges of evergreen along the nortl
line Of their orchards and grounds. The
fact so far asceTtained with certainty
are themselves, without one additional
word, a sufficient comment on the ruin.
Gus folly that lays the axe of destruc
tion at the root OF our forest trees
They also point 10 thereed OF immediate
forest planting in localities where 4 suf
ficient amount of woodland does not al
ready exist. The proper proportion o.
woodland to the open country is said &
be from twenty five to thirty per cent