Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-08-04
Agricultural.


We have an occasional summer without a
season of drought, but of late years these are
exceptional 1t is common remark that for
the past 10 or 20 years summer droughts are
more common and more extensive than for
morly. The remark corresponds with our
recollection, yet we know il is difficult to com
pare the seasons of 10 or 20 years ago with
the present, from memory alone, with any
degree of accuracy. II any ono in this vicin-
ity has kept a monthly record of the rainfall
for a series of years, we should be pleased to
publish it in this department of The PHOENIX.
1t is only by such records that we can make
an accurate comparison of the seasons in any
different series Of years. 1t is generally taught
and believed that the clearing away of the for
ests has SO diRinished the rainfall that
droughts are Of much more frequent occur
renee than in the early history of the coun-
try. This is the theory of the professors.
We confess, however, to some skepticsm on
the point The idea seems to be that q sur
face retaining moisture tends TO produce rain;
but if the rainfall was proportional 10 the re-
tention Of moisture on the earths surface,
then the ocean and the country near the sea-
shore would be likely to get more than its
share. But droughts occur ON the ocean
"Day after day, day after day.
We stuck, nor breath nor motioni
As idle as painted ship
Upon painted ocean.
''water, water everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink"
Perhaps Coleridges ancient Mariner"
from which we quote, would be ruled out, as
evidence Of a fact in court Of justice, but
let that pass; the rainfall in many localities
near the seashore, or in the vicinity of large
bodies of water, is frequently less than in 9TH
ers far in the interior. Records kept for a
series of years at Portsmouth, N. H., show
that the average annual rainfall at that city is
about 80 inches, while at Newfano (Vt.) it is
about A inches From observations made at
Lunenburgh by Dr. Hiram A. Cutting, extend
ing through a series of 30 years, it appears
that the average annual rainfall at that place
is little over Al inches This is not far from
the average of observations taken at over 20
stations distributed throughout the state. The
top of Mt. Washington has an annual rainfall
nearly twice as large
While it is not clear that the amount Of rain
is materially increased by the presence of
large forests it is evident that water is sooner
evaporated from the soil of an open country
| than from a soil protected by the shade OF
trees but this hardly justifes the hundreds
of discourses that we read, similar to the fol
lowing, on the restoration of forests as pre-
ventive of droughts:
Gan this points to the necessity of tr, G.
| planting on an extensive scale, if anything
like the former conditions are to be met, if the
/ water supply is to he continued through
| greater portion of the year, droughts to be-
come less common, and crops more sure
| There are many ways in which farmers cal
make some provision TO meet the necessities
/ occasiOned by the common summer droughts
as in the fodder supply. 1t becomes neces
sary for farmers to raise forage crops for greer
feeding because the parched land ceases t
| produce pasture as in former years, and tn,
meadows are more difficult to keep full,
stocked. 1t is fair to presume, however, tina
full correction of the evils accompanying GU
summer droughts will never be made unit
much attention is given in the older states Il
tree planting"
1t is not supposed, of course, that we ar
to raise crops under the shade of trees, thougl
we are to make full correction of the evil
accompanying our summer droughts" by ''giv
ing much attention to tree planting" w
don't believe it can be done. The trees ma,
be planted-that is good advice-but they vii
not prevent a drought or have any apprecia
Bile effect on land not within or near thei
shade.
Since writing the above we have examine
a diagram published by the Smithsonian II
stitute, showing the fluctuations in the annus
rainfall of the Atlantic states, from Maine {
Maryland, for period of 81 years. The ia
bles show that as a whole the rainfall has bee
increasing rather than decreasing This ind
Gates that the common belief in the create
prevalence of drought in late years is an ell
ror, though it does not preclude the possibil
biity of its being true, as an increased quan
tity of rain might be more unequally distrit
uted less of it falling in the summer season
In any case it gives no support to the theor
of rains being diminished to an appreciate
extent by the clearing away of forests.
The bulk of the hay crop is securely