St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-16
PREVENTION OF FLOODS.
To the Editor of the Globe.

To the Editor OF the Globe.
Your editorial of last Sunday on "For-
ests Needed" timely suggests the true
remedy for the devaStationS of floods.
1t is indeed encouraging to find the for
esters' plan of protection against such
perIlS argued for in a daily so influen-
tIai as the GLOBE. 1t has been demon
strated again and again, that in every
part Of the world where the forests have
been cut away floods have prevailed to
great loss of life and property, and
that the restoration of the forests
has largely fOrestalled them. The
forests are catchbaSinS for the rains
and SHOWS; they hold back the water,
even the leaves, roots and MOSES.
Being thus intercepted, it SOaks down
into the soil. Great reservoirs are thus
formed that feed our springs and wells
and keep the fowage of our rivers more
constant and even. thus benefiting the
country in summer when most needed.
Owing to the leafy cover. evaporation
is slower In the forests than OH the open
plains, thus encouraging moisture, and
educing slower distribution and eQuable
indeed be day of promise, securing
safety to the people of the South, aud
over all our country, when the forest
problem is considered on its merits and
utility, as you have Suggested. Your
remedy is practical, and is in perfect
accord with the proposed Minnesota
forest reserve that has been so Bit
terly and unwisely opposed. You
suggest provisional "outlets for the
surplus waters" Practical again in
economy. Every year water enough runs
to waste to supply all the immense
vegetatiOns of our country. which, if re-
tanned In great outlets and utilized i'll
surface irrigation, the ravages of
drOuthS would be neutraliZed and ample
crops insured. Plain, simple, necessary
as these methods are. you cannot get
| them even into official heads without
sledgehammers. You must pound the
| furest grace in." Lots of our statesmen
| (?) act as though they can transcend the
| laws of meteOrOlogy with impunity.
! Congress will appropriate vast sums of
money in artificial contrivanceS to avert
the ruin of floods, and dig deeper cha n
nels in the principal rivers for naviga-
| tion after the floods dry up. and falling,
| refuse tOimprOve upon natures methods
| that are always economical and safe.
But let us not despair. Calamities open
mems eyes to wider retrenchment. The
ruinous trails of the flood and fire will
| yet bring even lumber SyndicateS to
espouSe the forest reform; and when
they do, scientific forestry will be the
popular theme in business and legisla-
| ton.
S. Waterhouse, of the Washington
university, well says: "a judicious
preservation of northern woodlands
might perhaps prevent the expenditure
of additional millions in deepening the
chanel of the river Tor in Intellectual
building of leveeS to control the foods.
The improvement of the Mississippi is
now sufficiently arduous undertaking,
without the Increased difficulties with
which still lower stage Of water would
invest the problem" Truly stated
land the Importance of the subject in
viteS the grave consideration of our na.
tiOnal Legislators" J. o. BARRETT,
Seer etary OF the State Forestry Associa.
| fion