Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-01

FOrests and the Rainfall.
In an article this week on the subject Of
forestry as connected with the amount Of
rainfall, the agricultural editor Of The Pho
nix takes exception to the generally received
theory that the growth OF forests or their de-
struction appreciably affects the amount Of
rain which falls over any given area in any
given period. 1t is entirely possible that the
effect Of forest growths, both upon this mat
ter Of the amount OF annual rainfall and
upon climatic conditions, has been over
estimated, or, to speak more exactly, is not
yet well understood. According to our un-
dersianding of the subj Ct however, it should
be said for a fair statement Of the whole
matter, that the influence of forests is felt
not 80 much in producing an increased amount
of rain as in equslizing the amount at differ
ent seasons, and in holding the water in the
soil and preventing great areas from being
alternately parched with droughts and drench-
ed with floods. Take the case of the north
ern Maine country, for instance, which is cit
ed in the article referred to. Can there be
any doubt that, with the FIVE inches less Of
annual rainfall which that region receives, the
soil will, nevertheless, be found more uni
formly moist and in good condition for vege-
table growths than will the open, untimbered
country 200 miles further south, which gets Eve
inches more rain We think not. In other
words, the real Office of forest growths is not
so much to increase the amount of rainfall as
to equalize it and retain the water in the soil
and allow it to pass of gradually during a
whole season. instead of suddenly, as it falls,
and oftentimes in the form of disastrous
floods.
We have never seen it seriously disputed
that the barrenness and sterility of the Pales.
tine of to day, as compared with the fertility
of that country 2OOO and 5000 years ago,
when it was a land Glowing with milk and
honey" is due to the reckless work of mems
hands in stripping of it's forest growths and
changing all its natural conditions. The same
thing holds true in regard to the valleys of the
Tigris and Euphrates and the table lands and
mountains at the hesdwaters of those rivers.
Here once was the scene of a wonderful civil
lization and of q vast population, now wiped
out and forgotten, which enjoyed such de-
gree of material prosperity as the world has
rarely seen.
But there is no need to go to Asia for an il
lustration of our point. It's most familiar H.
lustration lies before the eyes Of every dwell
er in the Connecticut valley. Gov. Holbrook,
in his paper on Forestry, cited the fact that
80 years ago there was depth enough of wa
ter in the Connecticut river to permit the
running of fatboats as far north as Brattle.
boro and Bellows Falls during the whole open
season. To-day such thing would be i'm
possible, and the river shrinks to almost
alarmingly small proportions In times of sum.
mer drought. The mill-owners at Holyoke
cry out every summer that the rivers volume
of water is becoming too small to turn Their
wheels, and that new means of storage must
be devised. But still the great lumber con.
Germs which have their headquarters there &c
on stripping the woodlands at the headwatert
Of the river by the thousand acres annually,
aud by just so much cut off at the fountain
head the water-power which gives Holyoke it,
life. 1t is entirely probable that as much wa
ter flows down the Connecticut valley now in
years time as was the case century ago
uted over the months of the year all old resi-
dents agree.
The remedy for all this lies not so much il
stopping the cutting of trees as in cutting
them MISUNDERSTANDING out the large ant
valuable timber on any given tract and leav
ing the smaller trees and the young growth
to spring up in its place. The process o.
wanton forest-butchery is going on to-day
within three or four miles of Brattleboro al
it has been going on for years. Hillsdes ant
mountain-tops are stripped, not alone of tree
which are large enough for wood and timber
but every young tree and shoot is mercilessl!
chopped down, till nature has absolutely moth
ing left with which to repair the damage
The time will come when, in response to al
awakened and enlightened public sentiment
this sort of thing will be forbidden by law.