The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-03-15
The Relation OF Forests, to Floods
and Drouth.

and DrOuth.
The recent Devastating floods in the
Ohio, the Cumberland, and other rivers
that produce a longer and more destruc-
tive overflow of the Mississippi, has again
called attention to what this country is
coming 10 by the cutting away of her
| forests and the waste in every direction
that results from a sweeping torrent of
waters compelled hastily to seek the low
est level.
1t is calculated that in about ten years
the pine lands of the Northern States will
be exhausted, and the bounty offered for
planting trees is so ieebly repairing the
| loss that il has been compared with con-
tending against Niagara by bailing out
with teaspoon, or giving prizes for fire
extinguishers while paying bounties TO
| incendiaries. Since 1885 the forest area
of the Western Hemisphere has decreased
at the yearly average rate Of 1900, 900 acres.
Statistics show that for each quarter of a
century during the last 125 years we have
been wasting the supply of moisture 10
American soil at the average rate of per
cent for each quarter of century, and are
now approaching limit beyond which
any further decrease will materially in
fiuence the climate of the entire continent.
The misfortunes and national decline of
Persia, India and Asia Minor began with
the disappearance of their native forests
| The progress of invention in machinery
has multiplied our ability TO make lum-
Der and shingles, and the day is not long
enough, so the great saw-mills are hum
ming from midnight on Monday morning
till twelve O'Clock Saturday night, and
armies Of men are cutting logs to feed
these destroyers of the woods
A Vice-President of the Lumbermen's
Exchange states that the increased de
mand for lumber since 1850 has been al
the rate of not less than fifty per cent foI
every five years The timber area OF
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, com
puted by the leading practical lumbermer
of those States for the last census, is very
much less than had been popularity esti
mated. A large part of the forests i:
needlessly, recklessly wasted, millions OF
feet of uncommercial timber being de
stroyed in getting at that which is salable
and great deal of that growing on public
lands is said to be stolen and sold in for
eign countries
The protective duty against Canadian
lumber also encourages the destruction o.
our own forests. Few farmers are seller:
of lumber in such conditions as to get any
benefit from this protective duty, bu
nearly every taxpayer is, instead, a buyel
of lumber The timber-land from which
the forest has been cut, if not cleared fol
tilling, does not produce timber again
and no effort commensurate with the los
is being made TO provide timber for thu
future.
Under the timber-culture laws any heaC
of family or citizen twenty-one years ole
who has filed his intention 10 become such
who shall plant, protect, and keep in goot
7 growing condition for eight years forty
acres of timber on any quarter-section, anC
T in the same proportion more or less, o
any of the public lands of the United
States, is entitled TO patent for such sec
ton on making creditable proof Millions
: OF the Usage orange, catalpa and alianthu
were planted, and not until recently die
, the settlers learn that the Land Office di,
not recognize these varieties as trees. Blu
, though these may not grow saw-logs the,
are an advantage in checking the force o
winds, in saving the washing away of soil
in holding moisture, delaying drouth, ant
modifying the extremes of climate.
, But the timber famine and the questio;
] of fuel for the future in lands remote from
: coal-fields and railroads is not the only o
! chief danger that should be averted. Tn
: frightful mischief that has been and
E now being done by the overflow of on
great rivers should awaken our law maker
to set about providing a remedy. Tn
E Cumberland River, shriveled to brool
$ in the drouth of the summer, has now, 70
e the second time within The winter, been al
overwhelming flood. The damage alon
! the Mississippi, and extending long di:
e tances inland, where bayous are affecte
o by its overflow, inundating whole paIishe,
q and the loss and delay to planters cannc
i De eSlllndlcQ- Inc VI lOtcSC
' clearing out of underground, draining c
e swampy land and plowing of larger area
: all have a tendency 20 promote the altel
nations of flood and drouth. The waste c
4 the very best soil, especially of the bottor
e lands by being thus swept over, is even
greater loss to the country than the ind
vidual one in loose property carried avs,
; There is a rapid scanning of the hill side
t and obliteration of creeks and pools an
4 springs; the soil gets harder, more fertil
{ ze. s are needed than formerly, and agr
. culturalists who have We'd with each Othe
!, in cutting and grubbing, reducing ever
d foot of ground to conditions of plowins
will wish again for the bit of swail wher
: the spring had its source; for the kindl
5 willow and brier that helped TO protet
e their creek banks and their hill pasture
IT and there will have to be legislation thi
Is respected, prohibiting wanton destru'
ton of natures remedies for her own d.
bility and decay.