The Louisiana populist., 1897-10-15
Denudation and Rainfall.
Written for the Item.)
Continued from last week

ne WeaJnef bureau oiHClalS say
that "scientitic" men cannot eX-
plain tho cause of the rainfall.
This looks bad for tho recognized
"science" of the day, for ! know
of people who have long known
the approaching dessication and
the causes thereof. A quarter of
a century since a newspaper arti-
clio was published prognosticating
a progressive decrease of rainfall
and setting forth tho causes con-
spring to produce it. But the
writer's pen had never entered the
charmed circle of the "scientist's"
ink-pot, and no attention was CIV
en- it. Now when the facts have
become apparent to all, the scien-
tist does not fiddle as it is said that
Nero did while Rome burned up,
but while his country IS burning
he scratches his head and declares
that be cannot see any sclentlhc
reason for the fact.
Now, in the following facts, |
shall present the basis of the eau
sation of decreasing rainfall.
The leaf-muIch in the woods is
the father of the forest and the
mother of the springs. Upon the
water of the springs, the creeks
and the rivers depend generally for
their perennial flow. In this per-
ennial fiow of the streams the leaf
mulch IN the woods assists by hold
ing upon the earth-surface a large
part of the rainfall and allowing
It to slowly trickle away through
the earth into the spiings and over
the surface into the streams in-
stead of rushing off in torrents as
it does where the leaves and logs
have been burned in the woodlands.
There il q conjuction of meteoro.
logical causes not certainly and
fully known which | shall call the
'srain-po,nt." That this Grain
point" exists, and that dampness in
and about the earth-surface is alb
solutely necessary to its produc-
tion l know and / conjecture that
a secondary element in its ,prodnc-
tion is a certain intangible infu-
enoe generated by the action Of the
sun upon the earth. 1t is certain
that whatever lessons the capacity
of the earth to hold moisture with
in its surface will decrease the
chances for reaching the rain-point
and will consequently reduce the
frequency of the rainfall. Con
versely, the decrease of the rain
fall increases tho earth's aridity,
and thus an effort of the primary
cause becomes secondarily a cause
synergic with the primary one: In
this manner droughts produce
drought, and from this meteorolo-
gical law comes tho danger of q
dessication so general as to reduce
our country to a desert. This also
explains the rapid increase Of the
rate of dessication which the Unit
ed States weather bureau have OBJ
served and announced as an "un
explainable freak Of nature"
Now with these facts before Us
let us sec what man has done in
violation of natures laws ever since
the settlement of our country be
can. After noting what he had
done with its baleful effects, oul
duty ia the premises will become
plain.
When our magnificent domain
was first offered by a muniticent
Maker to men for settlement, vast
forests and wide extended plains
teemed with flowers, fruits anc
verdure. Such of the plains a:
are situated upon the mountain
slopes, or adjacent thereto, arr
traversed by streams originating
in springs and snowbanks higf
above the reach Of the settlers Ak
and he, perhaps, can never ruiz
that part Of the country by hi
reckless disregard of natures laws
But in the forest regions the ruiz
which hc has wrought will Ions
outlive him and stand as a monu
lnent to his ignorance. When h'
came thousands OF springs wer'
gushing in gladness from the earth
With the synergic unison which
characterizes untrammelled nature
those springs camo to the surfac'
at the behest of the damp, COO
shade Of the green trees. They
burst forth and ran laughing dow
the slopes, things Of use and beau
ty, and they would have remained
"a Joy forever" if man were a
wise and as good as he proclaim
to be. But he is not, and for thes'
charming gifts of nature he ha