Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-12-12
THE BENEFITS OF TREES.
Their Effect on Climate, Soil and Man
L

Their Effect on Climate, Soil and Man.
kind.
An interesting paper on forestry
was read before the San Francisco
Geographical Society by c. A Wash
burne. He began by speaking of the
increase of the population of the world.
Mr.. Washburne took the opposite stand
point from Nautilus, and said that we
should not try to devise plans of pre-
venting the increase of population but
to devise means to provide food for
them. The world could be made to
support seven times its present popu-
lation, and the way is by increasing
our forests. By planting our now bar
rem hills with trees it would leave them
plenty Of land in the valleys to cultivate
grain. 1t is an undeniable fact that
where trees are in abundance the
country is thrifty. Speaking of the
devastation of timber lands, the speak
er cited Arabia, Syria, Egypt and the
countries of the Old World. At one
period in the worlds history these
places supported vast population,
beautiful cities and wealthy Kingdoms.
Now there are no more barren places
that were once the pride of the world.
The cause of this wonderful change,
according to Mr. Washburnes ideas,
was the destruction of the timber.
History tells us that many of these
countries were once fertile and pro-
ductive but as the population increased
the forests were destroyed, and the
cessation of rains has made them what
they are now. California is coming to
the same end in the course of time if
we do not profit by the experience of
the ancients and save our forests, or, at
least, not allow them to be annihilated.
Taking the scientific standpoint of the
effect of forests in their influence on
the rainfall, the speaker commended that
as forests are removed so will the fall
of rain decrease, and to substantiate
his theory and the theory of scientific
men he cited the effect of cutting off
the timbers among the Apennines and
in Lombardy. Germany and England,
on the other hand, are still thriving
nations, and one great cause is that
care is taken to preserve the fertility
of the soil and keep up their forests
Old Spain, again, is the reverse. The
country is desolate and its people
thriftless on account of the lack Of
vegetation. The effect OF planting
trees in our own country, especially in
California, is very noticeable. Many
of our valleys and grain lands are very
open, over which the winds sweep,
drying up the soil and blighting the
crops. In those places where the pru-
dent farmer has planted long rows of
trees, the violence of the wind is broken
and the growing crops saved. Where
trees grow, there rain, on which we all
depend, will fall. The only exceptions
to the rule of forests and rain going to-
gether are the pampas of South Amer
lea and our great western plains; but
the exceptions, as explained by scien-
lists, are due to the fact that the rain
bearing winds that blow over them are
condensed by the trade winds. The
farmers in Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois
are fast eXhausting the fertility of the
soil, and, if they continue to do so, in
less than two centuries these places
will be as barren as the plains around
Damascus are at the present day. The
speaker then compared the difference
in beauty and valuation of two farms,
one on which no trees were planted
and another where trees grew in
abundance.
Mr.. Washburne concluded his read
ing by making the alarming announce
ment that company is being formed
in Germany for the purpose of coming
to this country and securing vast tracts
of redwood land for the purpose of get
ting the timber. The same company
also intends securing lands in Michigan