Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29
EROSLAN'S ECONOMIC ASPECTS.
An Interesting Talk by Prof. Shaler
at the National Museum.

Prof N Shaler of Harvard University
treated of the Economic Aspects of Fro
sian" before a joint meeting of the .\mcri-
can Forestry Association and the National
Gee graphic Society in the lecture room IF
the National Museum last night Prof.
Shaler was introduced by J. Sterling Nor
ton Secretary of Agriculture. The lecturer
allie led that the destruction of forests and
the wasteful tlllage habit were Fastening
the processes of ercsian. Prof Shaler, in
ooening his address, said that while or
ganic life began in the sea, all the nighei'
forms had been developed on the land
This advantage vas due IT, the soil. Soil
was the wreckage of matter lie told OF
the history of the soil and of how the
earths coating of soil was slipping from
the heights to the sea. He pointed out the
dangers OF our tillage methods and OF the
way lands had been brought TO ruin. He
Motel how the work of nature was done
which affected the growth of the soil. The
sea vas making ravaSes on the land. 1t
was carving its way inland he cited the
known loss of lands bv inroads of the
ocean, even in historic times. This waste
was inevitable. All the contrivances Of
man were futile. But there was beauti-
full law of compensation, and that Whlcn
was taken was given up, so mat IN ages
hence the Land area would show no dimi-
mutton Solar heat was bringing about ero-
sian in another way. 1t was evaporating
the waters of the sea, End these were de-
scending as rain or snow or tearing out
hillsides as glaciers. These forces were
wearing the heights down to the level of
The sea. When land was prepared for agri-
culture Ii was peculiarly sensitive to ero-
sian by rainfall. Rivers ran mud washed
down from plcughed hillsides and cultivat-
ed valleys. The superficial vegetation OF
forest land could retain in its interstices
torrential rainfall and release II gradually
into the earth below. This water, percolat-
ing through inches of decaying matter, De,
came charged with the acids OF decay, and
as 1t filtered through to the underlying
rock it carried it's decaying influence with
II. and wrought the destruction of this
rock, thereby producing new soil: Inc
primitive man never harmed the soil. CIV
ilized man was the only animal which did
AS soon as man began to strip off the
protecting covering OF the earth and to
force 1t into yielding food he laid upon it
q tax which was slowly killing it.
The areas of our tillable land should be
classified Certain lands should not be
subject to constant cultivation, and de-
clivities Of Is degrees or more should be
retained as forest. The minimum Of
Ell csian was found in New England and the
maximum in that part OF the country
running southwest from Maryland to Mis-
sssippi, and thence northwest to the west
ern margin of the Mississippi valley. Five
or six million acres had been destroyed.
This could only be reclaimed by reforest-
irg 1t. The lecturer complimented the
wisdom and the energy of the Department
Of Agriculture.
Major Powell was called upon for q few
remarks. He corrobcrated all that Prof.
Shaler had said, and brought out the ad-
ditional point that as these lands were
washed away in the muddy waters of
streams, they formed bars to the free flow
Of the currents, and thus in the torrential
rains which occurred at varying periods
the natural outlets to the sea were
damned. Floods resulted and the low
lands were lost We might look forward
to greater destruction by floods.