Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-04
Uses OF Forests.
WHY TREES ARE VALUABLE APART FROM THE oUEs-
TON OF TIMBER SUPPLY.

WHY TREES ARE VALUABLE APART FROM THE CUES
TON OF TIMBER SUPPLY.
From the Scientific News.
Some time back the world was OF opinion that
trees were OF value merely as supplies OF timber
and that where building material could be easily
imported country might, without any disadvant-
age, be laid entirely bare. To be sure a few far.
seeing individuals, such as Bernard Palsy, were
aware Of the influence OF woodlands as regulators
OF climate Similar views were taken in antiuuity
by Crittas, who spoke vaguely OF the sickness OF
and In 1910 by Fernando Colon, who declared that
the rains in Madeira, the Azores and the Canarfes
had become rarer since the trees had been cut
down. But in spite OF these warnings the process
OF clearing" was carried on in most countries
with reckless haste.
Quences were pointed out by Humboldt, Boussing-
ault, and Beequerel and by still more authorita-
tive teacher, experience, who on this occasion
seems TO have charged unusually high school fees.
One OF the most important effects Of woods upon
climate Is that they promote rain. The theory
OF this process Is not perfectly understood but
There are districts on the continent where the
chief rivers have decreased notably In volume since
the clearing OF the DIST lets about their sources
we have seen O small stream, tributary OF the
Oder which, within the memory OF living persons
turned in its course two or three corn-mil,s AT
the time OF our visit II was dry all the summer
months, save Immediately after a thunderstorm
In many districts OF Southern France the destruc-
ton OF the forests has caused more striking mis-
chief.
The RAIN instead OF falling as heretofore In mod.
crate showers, now comes In violent ruShes with
long periods OF drought between. As the natural
consequence. the grasses and other low growing
plants perish, their roots wther away, and the
SOIL no longer held together by their nbers. is
washed away by the occasional violent rains and
sides and the higher plains remain as barren
wastes or SIND, gravel and single. similar
process has been going on In Spain, Italy, Greece
Algeria, Morocco and, In short, all around the
Mediterranean. Countries which were once the
granaries OF the world, and which supported q
numerous and thriving population, are now little
better than deserts. Nor has this mischief been
confined TO Europe. The vegetable wealth OF
South Africa, when 1t first became known to
Europeans was remarkable.
The Cape was the source OF numbers of our
finest greenhouse plants. But now vast tracts
have been rendered so desolate that troupe OF
the colonial cavalry on the march actually gave
three cheers at the sight OF a tree. Even In the
United States once regarded as eminently the
land OF forests, many regions have lost, first their
tree-relling. 1t may, perhaps here be objected
that, fully admitting all these unfavorable
changes, they may possibly have been produced
by unknown causes, and would have occurred an
the same II the woodlands had not been tnterfered
with. This plea can easily be refuted. In many
OF the countries above mentioned replanting has
been undertaken on a large scale by individuals,
the most decisive results.
climate becomes less extreme, the rainfall more
uniformly distributed, and public health is i'm
proved. Sucn penenclal changes nave been dis
tinctly recognized in Northwestern India where
fertility Is gradually returning to the deserts In
France, within about twenty years, 10000 acres
OF mountain lands and nearly the same extent OF
sandy coast lands have been replanted--Of course
al great expense, but with the most satisfactory
results In America, also, replanting Is being
vigorously carried on. An eminent AGRICULTURAL
authority in the United States has given il as his
opinion that II one-fourth OF country is LEFT COW
cred with trees the remaining three-fourths viii
Yield better return in the shape OF crops than m
would II stripped bare.