The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-04-01

WHAT WE OWE TO THE TREES


Near the close al the last cCnturE :;
:uela. was observed tn he lcsScning i
! ,rea as he settlements in the valley Hn'
Is cultivation increased. \ civil WA
broke out in that region. which led t"
The neglect of agriculture. and allowed
the forest vegetation gain to sprin@ up,
1t was observed, 4 quarter OF a century
after. that the lake was rcsuminm its fer
mcr size. So il has been observed thar
~ince the settlement of Utah. and thu
| reclaiming of the Land by the MnimnnS
aud the growth ol trees. shrubs. ar"
| grasses. the water i'll Great Salt Lax
tud other lakes around has been yer,
much increased. and the climate perctpti
hIy charged. Fact like thesa. gatherc,i
rom all parts of the world. are abnnd-
ant. and would seem to leave no dnub1
that the forests increase the rain fall IL
heir immediate vicinity. and are Iuu,-
.ains of moisture for tie atmosphere am"
The lands about them.
But the forests n"t only dI-tribate
moisture impertcptihly through thr at
noSpherc AROUND them. anh theleh.
modify climate ami affect health am
agricultural industry. they are also the
fountains whence issue the streams whicI.
dow DOM the hill->ides and along thu
valleys. furnishing those supplies of water
50 necessary tor ri.n and beast. carrying
moisture thrnugh the fields and increaS-
ir~ their fertility. supplying power to
nan bv which 10 drive all the niechan-
.,mS of industry and invention. and. IL
they swell into rivers. bearing ON thci,
,osoms to the ocean and tn distant mart>
he plnducts of a nations harvest tiec.
and factories. Lett to themselves, ;hc
orcsts would thu, bless the lands CON
.inually. and he abidiurly mans best
friends. 1t is Il matter of commnn Oh
srrvation. however. that water COURSES
have dl,appearcd or been greatly less
med in volume rs the forests in 1hri,
vicinity have been DESTROYED. Few per
SONS car have CROWN to maturity in the
open country without hayin.s had occa :
SION to remark the disappaara:ice of the
streams with which N thcil childhood
DAYS they were familiar. The pond cr
he brook where they formerly di.purtcd
themselves has gone from sight. as have
the ncigilhuriny woods where the ram
t,lcd in search o! nuts and game. This
is the common experience. And Is these
prin.s AID ,ivul@tS and brooks have
vanished ur dwInd'ed in volume. 5" have
the larger wate, -rotllS"s into Whlc!l they
lowed, amt which they ted, been less
FINISHED supplies To the farmer Tor the
irrigation Of his iIeidS, and i">sene I
power TO the wheels OF the manHiac-
rurer. We have few trustworthy ana
"Xact observations on tins point IN our
country. In Europe. they are more
abundant. The river Eihe between the
wears ~, and 50, WAS foun" to have a
!"Ssencl depth of ten feet a. the result
If the cutting Of the forests where the
tributaries ri that stream have th"Ir "ri-
IN. similar result has been found in
he ease of the Danube, the Oder and
other streams.
But an evil as important as the dinli-
nution Of the streams is the ;rrcguarity
Of their How. which is also the reSuit of
,he removal of the forests. The fall of
he leaves from year TO wear. and their
accumulation in the forest. create there
soft. spongy soil, OF humuS, which
,atches the rain is it falls from the
clouds, or the water OF the disso!vinr
SHOWS. and instead of allowiu. it to flow
,it at once. retains it As in :, treat rescr-
gor. from which it opZeS away mradu-
ally through Thousand springs and rivu,
lets. which find their WAY down the hill
>ides and slopes into the valleys, and
shere unite in larger streams, which are
Kept in steady volume bv the REGULAR
low of the many head springs above.
Thus the forests become great store
,ouscs of power and fertility for man.
upon which he can safely count in all
MS pursuits and ocrupatipns which are
tt all dependent upon the flow of water
,ut let the forest be swcut oil by the
,ecklcssncss or the cupidity of ,nnn. and
he first effect besides lnsseninr the rain
all is to dry M thi, humus as If is cy-
pnsed to the sun and the winds, As If IS
nus dried. it is soon carried away BY
10th wind and rain The snnn,, SIR
',r, beinr Tins removed the f.,fliu,, PAINS
ave nothing to detaiu Them, They rush
It once down the hiIl.sides, uIIlny the
,ads of br,,ks and rivers nv.rdovir,
the adjacent fields. and even sween,nu
away houses. crops, factories. bridges
,ul not unfreuuently DESTROYING Iif,,
ia the intervals between the rains th,.
streams are low there heiur no GREAT
forest researchers to feed +hr,, ,s before.
fine milI.vbeeIs can ma lonuor t,,r,, with
fan forca +ba o,ttIs miss rh.;, want. !
Snrinns tha rrn,,s 9, t,.,r f,,,. lack nr ,y,tar
,,sr ;r,lu.t.;.. l,,.rui.b .,,3 .,,t,,.,;,,,r
If variuus kinds .nsurs
Rut avon +b;. j. ,,,,l1 AZ +hoH ,,d-
a .+ro,r,s g., 5ou.,, tho L;II .;do. .I,,,,
,ftan bsc,,e t,,r.,ts .co,n;,,, ant th..
.,rtb itself as with Trim hands ,na,i,.,
Up rocks and trees. and hearing down
uto the v,lIr,s he,,,, v, ,.,,,.,,,. ,...;ii
i,.l.Is with This avalanche of debris aun
,.,,n;+, aud li+.,,I1,. Diva +l,,, l,,,-h,,,l-