The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-06-04

In previous article on the subject o
Forestry the vital necessity TO The future of man
| existence upon earth was demonstrated by inductlv
experiences In all tho countries Of the Old World an,
those already observable In this last resting place
| the foot OF man, In the temperate zone. The
bread of this life Is gained by the sweat of man
face In tlilng the ground and the curse of Cain
1.-The ground shall not henceforh Yield un to thee be
strength, " is again threatened to the sinful race
| Adam. Moisture is the prime power of vegetaD,
| Difth and growth; without IL seed Is sown In rain
nature provides It, Man, ignoring natures laws,
hindly expects her bounty, while his prodIgalit,
wastes the fountain OF her resources The prIncp,
before enunciated was, 'rhe seas are the sources OF
moisture; the atmosphere the medium of transmits.
sion, the wind being the carrier; temperature govern.
Its notion II is evident that the wind will carry
the moisture from to sea, rs the tempcratur,
rariies the atmosphere In locality after another
1.-THE wind rushing each time TO MI the partial vacuum
created unless the moisture is In part arrested on
land by some other natural law. This other natural
law Is the principle of condensation. When the tenn
perauie Is reduced below certain point the moisture
Is condensed from Particles TO drops and falls TO tho
ground as rain. From fall to spring the distance of
the sun from the earth that part of Its surface
reduces the temperature sufficiently for this c0nden-
sation, and also far below the dew point, 30 that
vegetation Is In abeyauce but from spring to fall the
suns rays cause the temperature TO rise above the
dew point, preventing condensation, unless some OBJ
suclion TO the reflection of heat from tho earth keep
the atmosphere cool. This obstruction has been
found TO exist In the clothing of larger vegetable
growth on the surfaceho forcsts-whIch resist the
cold OF winter Forests hold the moisture In the form,
OF snow and water especially In mountain rcgions)
which fail during winter, and, yielding the moisture
up gradually by evaporation during spring, thus
Keeps the temperature down tho dew point dur
ing SUMNER SO that when tho wind comes heavily
laden with moisture from the sea IL may be con.
der6ed into rainfall.
The mountains being difficult OF access or CultIya-
ton, are not denuded entirely Of these forests and
have preserved TO great extent tho power OF causing
seasonabe RAINFALL not only near but as far over the
valleys ms the current OF wind might carry. tho con-
denslng moisture In clouds. Hence II Is clearly tho
duty OF the age TO perserye these mountain forests
hut there is an additional duty of moro immediate
Importance because active Instead Of passive, and of
more direct application, which is TO extend the nnu-
encesof condensation of moisture tho Wide valleys
and plains where agriculture calls mpcrayely for It's
uses. The mountain forests shielding from tho sun
the SHOWS and waters In and lakes the water finds
lis way To the valleys and plains by cutting channels
called sprngsand rivers which conduct again to the
sea, furnishing moisture along the banks to adjacent
arabeanhs. Now, tho problem of man art is assist
nature In this distribution of moisture over lands
along these water 1t is plain that tho shading
shade OF mountain forests, since TO begin far below
would not restore tho moisture left by evaporation
above. and also that far down rs the shading con-
tinues uninterrupted the moisture win not only he
greatly sustained but when the Winds pass In clouds
surcharged with moisture, 1t VIII, by the coonoss be
condensed into rainfall and Increase the volume
In the streams. as well as water adjacent land As
the population must egparse at the rugged broken
country where water debOuches from the mountains,
individual or community effort would DO unable to Of
feet the purpose In keeping the springs aud heads Of
streams covered with suitable shade. The Govern
ments, State and National must unite TO assume the
work at lrst and by example Of success encourage
The Inhabitants below TO do likewise tho springs
ana streamsin their vicinity It Is TO DO hoped that the
forestry Congress which met I'm Cincinnati Kept be-
Tore 1t tho fact that retention OF moisture Is the first
consideration, In order that there may any vegeta
on and that the nrst duty forestry Is to cover the
watersheds, springs and streams with forest shade
II II would start In the right direction. Then the
second step would to consider how extend aud dis
tribute moisture along the banks OF rivers, over tho
valleys and plains, by the oondenslng influence Of
forest shade. These two objects being obtained by
the acts Of Congress- aud Legislatures, tho people
themselves would see to It that tho secondary condi-
lions q timber, lumber. wind barriers mast, fruit
flowers, and beautiful landscapes would follow.
WILLIAM ", BuRNs,
Assistant Commissary General u. e. A.