Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-05-06

fNxW TwH- my forcfather hand
S3e5MS That placed 1t near ms rot
" E3 Then, woodm II, let II stautl.
~ III Thy AK shall harm II not.
Il j. only within few years cenpar-
atiyclv that there has been any adequate
sensa Of the Ereat questions involved in
the iapid decreasing which has hecn in
unchecked operation IN the United
States Even now it Is mostly among
s,icntitic men that the facts have any
vivid hold ON the mind, but there is be-
rlnning to he a widespread awakening
People in general have hitherto not only
looked on the forests as lawful plumber,
but have attacked these supreme gifts
Of nature rs pirates used to fly the black
flag on the ocean, with the most reck
less and ruthless spirit of destruction
This waste. too. has gone on for n cen
fury il spite of the fact that notes Of
warnllg have been constantly sounded.
Even as far back as the year 1900 wise
men in New England had much to say
OIL the danger Of the lavish tree cutting
IL me llbTtHtTn Aliulltlf States
But men are now forced to consider
III" q: sstions at issue very seriously, be-
cause they will not permit themselves
t. be ignored any longer 1t is the al
TENTATIVE Of the tabled sphinx, Solve
me- This matter rightly or III destroy
w.
The main interest OF the emergency
Ia ,pt hat If 20 al ~
lumber fuel and paper pulp. This as
pet is important, but its conditions ad-
nit Of easy notifications. which can be
made to solve themselves. The recupera-
ton of nature from the human drain on
her resources is magniticently illustrated
in the fertility Of tree life The forests
will amply supply all our needs for
countless generations if man will bring
10 the economy Of production u 1.-THE Of
the care and skill which he applies to
his orchards and graintields. The active
clements Of the forest problem go still
deeper to the rootS of things and touch
all the primary interests of man. Let
Us then, glaiy'e at these radical facts,
which sink The discussion of the fuel,
lumber and paper markets into insig
nlticauCc Putting aside the utility of
forests ~ the source Of raw material
for fuel and manufacture We find the
value of woodland fourfold--it creates
climatic conditions; it regulates the
water supply III springs, brooks and
rivers 1t i Il necessary conSeryator Of
good soil conditions, and II Is Of vital
Importance in sanitation through its
effects i'll purifying the air
The modes Of forest Influence are east
ly understood, if we trace them step by
step. The climate Of any region is the
result of the temperature and moisture
OF the air interacting ON each other.
The temperature is derived. in the
main, by radiation from the heated
earth. The barrier of "A dense forest, of
course, lowers the temperature Of the
soil and of the air above il, and this
again lessons evaporation from the sur
face of the soil. so cooler and moister
air is found within and above the forest,
and this tends to coudense passing
clouds, which the hot air Of open spaces
would check In this way, too, the
woods act like a large sheet Of water as
hand, again. they constitute a mcchan-
zeal barrier against chilling north and
hot southern blasts The prairie farmer
well knows what a wlndbrcak Of a few
rows of trees Will do III adding to the
comfort Of his homestead and protecting
his young orchards.
But the paramount office Of the forest
Is to preserve soil humidity and 10 store
up and feed ont equally the earth 5 wa
Ter capital. The moss and leaf mold
make a vast sponge, taking water from
the air and the clouds, and from this
reservoir paying regular dividends, III
springs brooks and rivulets, giving up
Its resources, too gradually rs they are
most needed. The earth is always most
thirsty and arid where there are the
fewcst trees. Again, where the headwa-
tiers of streams and rivers are denuded I
OF forest, not only is the average level /
Of flowing water lowered, but the coun-
try Is necessarily made subject TO Occa-
slonal tremendous floods. BY this agency
man $ handiwork is extensively destroy |
ed, and, worst of all, the soil is washed |
away from the slopes and rich valleys /
pauperized for years 1t is "A dcmonstra-
Bile fact that the atfOrestatlon of I'M
uense tracts in France, Germany and |
the Tyrol has been of incalculable adj |
vantage in lessening such cataclysms of !
nature and otherwise blessing the labors
OF the earth tiller 1t is not too much to
say that the efficient control of the
earth j resources-that is TO say, civil F.
cation itself-depends more largely on
proper proportion of forest TO tllIable .
soil than on any other single factor.
As to the sanitary effects of great for
est tracts science Is constantly cllclung
new proofs, which come home to the
most skeptical. The activity Of every
tree in consuming carbonic acid and
breath ont OxVgon has long been