New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-29
WHY THE FORESTS SHOULD BE SAVED.
HOW NEw-YORK Is ENDANGERED-vALUE OF THE
land NECESSARY TO BE TAKEN.

| HOW NEw-YORK Is ENDANGERED-vALCE OF TIL
LAND NECESSARY TO BE TAKEN.
| To the Edttor OF The TrtJUne.
SIR: Is the Adirondack bill indeed dead
about surpass ignorance the who IN falt
killed the goose which laid the golden cggl lie at least
recognized the source of his income We the contrary
have always enjoyed the qhct flow of great Hudson
almost the same in spring as in summer, while Dui
friends Of the Ohio valley glide down their noble rive!
astradde OF their ridgepolcs. Our northern forest the
author OF this blessing is never thought OF except ioI
selfish ends by INSCRIPTIONS numbering companies These
companies have than place damned back the
streams Transforming large ~ wooded lands into
dsmnl swamps full of dead trees These dams tOI
the purpose Of floating logs down TO the mills in the
spring by mems Of waters otherwise TOO shallow Ill
this way deprived Of the water needed In summer
to have gathered together to augment the fury OF the
spring freshet.
The valleys of this region have an elevation Of from
1900 1000 feet above the which therefore nsures
for them climate quite cold las Montreal and Montreal
I'm winter Is the place imaginable, As some
Of our citizens will testify Those Of us who In August
at q. m have thrown of heavy camp blanket and
rushed out in sheer desperation heap logs the fire
will not need to be told that they are toeraby cool IN
summer Throughout the Wilderness the snow keeps
falling and collecting all winter until It is hardly safe to
say how deep il Is low estimate making 1t equal 10
twenty-four inches Of water If q week iensues
In early spring. while the ice is still thick on
the great rivers, the result Is not very great.
The trees shield the snow from the direct ray
the and hinder the motion OF the cooled air inst
above it, willis what melting there Is largely absorbed
by the soft deep and the spOngy laycrof old over
green needles Where however, the timber is burned or
cut of the moss is dead aud ground frOZen the
exposed to the fu force of warm wind and sun. met'
quickly and thousands OF tons of water are prcctated
into the brooks and swell the streams an ice pack
forms in the rivers, and when it breaks flood Is let
loose This Is fancy picture: its counterpart has
happened time and again all over the country ana 1t VIII
happen in Ncw-Yorl before many years
II the forests Essex, Hamilton and Warren counties
arc cleared away will be cnpted into the Hudson
by way the upper Hudson and the Mohawk the winter
rainfall of n tract OF twelve hundred square miles,
watc lei thn mass get backed up by an ice jam ana
then suddenly let loose and we shall see where Gotham
Will be. live high ground on the Island ana so can
figure calmly the probable result looks as louEt
food OF twenty feet might not ne lmproDapic; ul>
needles. To speak OF the consequent damage TO the city
nor TO mention the effects along the Mohawk Valley.
What lands are'hesc that are 80 much needed fol tt
latitude ana at the elevation at which they lie every
farmer knows or, ought TO know that they are almost
The soil itself would alone .orbd very successful fau
Ing. The state Land once has been selling tnGm ~ 81
at - an whole section referred to would cos
the state but four million dollars, but the tact Is ina
part f. already owned and acres upon acres are coming
back yearly Tor unpaid taxes.
II thcpart Of the wilderness lying Dn the a3oycaInro
counties were properly planted with trees and the timber
taken by proper selection Of the ripe trees rs Is done II
sweden and Germany, il would more Than pay lnteTgS
on any amount expended IN purchase ana would yled
handsome income 10 the state. 10 VIII 10 Us lar more
service a forest than as a farm. =,
We spend eur millions ON court houses and Capto
buildings and greatly excited over the question
whether one man or twcuty-tOur are to appoint the
heads Of city departments, hut when comes to even
a moderately lecent appropriation Tor the OeC ION O
ur great forest we must stand bY and see the Dill Killed
by our representatives Under the circumstances there
seems De nothing left for the private czch n IN an
ticipation of coming springs to teach his children to
swim ana TO build his steamboats, OF such drit th9t IKE
meadow II the dow IS heavy, and thus in summer VIC
shall bo able 10 navigate to Albany,
Sr,r- yGrE March 8 1854 CHARLES /. MNNTGGE.