The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-04-22

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ES4Xl,y That placed II near mis- cot
Wy Eag Then, woUdmun, Jet 10 stand. |
Ny VI Thy ak shall harm it not. |
1t is only within a few years compar-
atively that there has been any adequate |
sense Of tho great questions involved i'll
the rapid deforesting which has been in
unchecked operation in the United
States. Even now it is mostly among
scientific men that the facts have any
vivid hold on the mind, but there is be.
ginning to be widespread awakening.
People in general have hitherto not only
looked ON the forests as lawful plunder,
but have attacked these supreme gifts
Of nature as 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 CEN
tury in spite of the fact that notes of
warning have been constantly sounded.
Even as far back as the year 1900 wise
men in New England had much to say
on the danger Of the lavish tree cutting
in the northern Atlantic states.
But men are now forced to consider
the questions at issue very seriously, be-
cause they will not permit themselves
to be ignored any longer, 1t is the al
Tentative Of the tabled sphinx, 'Solve
me this matter rightly or I'll destroy
you.
The main interest Of the emergency
is not that of the commercial supply Of
lumber, fuel and paper pulp. This as
pect is important, but its conditions ad-
NIT of easy notifications which can be
made to solve themselves. The recupera.
tion of nature from the human Grain on
her resources is magnificCntly illustrated
in the fertility of tree life. The forests
will amply supply all our needs for
countless generations if man will bring
to the economy Of production a tithe of
the care and skill which he applies to
his orchards and grainfelds. The active
elements of the forest problem go still
deeper to the roots of things and touch
all the primary interests of man. Let
us, then, glance at these radical facts,
which sink the discussion Of the fuel,
lumber and paper markets into insig-
nifcance. Putting aside the utility OF
forests as 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 in springs, brooks ano
rivers; it is a necessary conservator Of
Q good soil conditions, and it is Of vita
u importance in sanitation through it!
effects in purifying the air.
q The modes Of forest influence are easi
!, ly understood, if we trace them step by
# step The climate of any region is tht
o result of the temperature and moisture
# of the air intcracting on each other
/ The temperature is derived, in the
n main, by radiation from the heated
: earth. The barrier of dense forest, O.
q course, lowers the temperature Of tn,
/, soil and of the air above it, and thi
. again lessons evaporation from the sur
n face of the soil. So cooler and moiste
air is found within and above the forest
y and this tends to condense passing
= clouds, which the hot air of open space
!" would check. In this way, too, tn
70 woods act like a large sheet of water a
% an origin of local winds. On the othe
Is hand, again, they constitute q mechan
ical barrier against chilling north ant
l, hot southern blasts. The prairie farme
y we'll knows what windbreak of fey
- rows of trees will do in adding to tn
- comfort of his homestead and protecting
\. his young orchards.
re But the paramount Office Of the fores
10 is to preserve soil humidity and to stor
ID up and feed out equally the earth wa
ID ter capital. The moss and leaf mol
make vast sponge, taking water fror
. the air and the clouds, and from thi
20 20 reservoir paying regular dividends, i
ID springs, brooks and rivulets, giving u
70 its resources, too, gradually as they al
n. most needed. The earth is always mos
rs thirsty and arid where there are tn
il fewest trees. Again, where the headwf
10 ters of streams and rivers are denude
u of forest, not only is the average levt
10 of flowing water lowered but the coul
no try is necessarily made subject to occi
ia sional tremendous floods. By this agenc
Mt mans handiwork is extensively destroy
ed, and, worst of ALL the soil is washe
m away from the slopes and rich valley
ne pauperized for years. 1t is demonstri
10 BILE fact that the afforestation of in
- 10 mense tracts in France, Germany an
h. the Tyrol has been of inCalculable al
ts vantage in lessening such cataclysms (
n nature and otherwise blessing the labol
K of the earth tiller 1t is not too much
IS, say that the efficient control of IL
es earth's resources-that is to say, civil
" zation itself-depends more largely {
} q proper proportion of forest to tillab
20 soil than on any other single factor.
is AS to the sanitary effects Of great TO
A est tracts science is constantly elicitir
of new proofs, which come home to Il
IN most skeptical. The activity Of ever
g tree in consuming carbonic acid al
10 breathing out oxygen has long bee
;" known. The balm of elevated forest a
n. mosphere, especially in regions OF pin
Y and spruce, has made such distric
r. natural sanitariums for pulmonary su
ge ferers. So too, vast extent Of swan
at has been cleared of malaria by the ge
I'd erous planting of trees the webwork
az leaf and twig probably serving as fl
"a ter in purifying the air of the spores
orr fungi and bacteria.
IL seems 20 10 clear, so great is I
Importance Of the relation of the fore
We to the open land and so manifold
ol n aspects, that it is one of those problei
ga which the state can no longer leave 0
rn solutely to the caprice and selflshness
to individuals The individual is for t
ic. most part shortsighted, intent only