The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1901-10-10
PREVENT FLOODS.
PHILADELPHIA MAN SUGGESTS
EXTENSIVE TREE PLANTING.

The Lands Most Needing to be In Forest
are Those Least Needed for Agricul-
turs, Namely Steep Banks of Streams
and the HiIsides.
The forest is to rainfall what the
balance wheel is to the steam engine.
It gives relief to extremes of drought
and of freshet by regulating-not IN
creasing-rainfall. Therefore, he for
est in proper proportion, on the earths
surface is the cure of devastating
floods that waste human n brute
lives and destroy millions of dollars
worth Of property. This is especially
true in the Mississippi basin, and
more particularly in the lower parts OF
that basin. From the mouth of the
Ohio to the Mississippi delta this dam
age reaches tens OF millions OF dollars
a year. The ratio of ruin is steadl y
increasing there, and is sure to con-
tinue to increase till the arboreal rem
edy above suggested is applied. ms
is not theory; it has been widely prov
| gu Nv CGLlu lC0 Va CAPOl-SASO
rope and Asia. Great rivers and their
af1uents have vibrated between drear-
ily dry beds and torrents that were a
terror to all concerned after the defor-
esting of their watersheds. In we'll
known cases, especially in France,
eouable flow has followed reforssting
of those slopes. Study of the natural
philosophy involved in this problem
shows this must be the case; the logic
of events practically corroborates
theory. The parts most needing to be
In forest are those least needed tor
agriculture. They are the steep banks
of streams and the remoter hillsides,
especially in regions Immediately
drained by their headwaters. Hence,
to be sufficiently remedial, states 1,OOU
miles northerly from New Orleans
must help to save the region of which
that city is the center; Wisconsin
Minnesota and the Dakotas, Illinois
Iowa. Nebraska and Kansas must CO.
operate; their legislators and tn
boards of trade and chambers OF com
merce must be induced to act; the
boards of education must take the sub
iect into the common schools, SO tina
the young grow up to understand tn
practical philosophy of this subject
In all these educative departments /
must and can be shown that it will pa.
and pay promptly to wisely treat thes
f forest interests. Thus and thus onl,
, can the people be led to demand need
' ed forest legislation, and sustain sue
Y legislation after it is secured. No in
q ~terests can better afford to favor for
est improvements than chambers c
n and boards of trade. Waite
. transportation is secured by one-tent
the traction to move a ton OF freig1
than is needed to move it by rail. Th
n rivers are not reliable for navigatio
e unless their flow is more regular tina
S in most of our rivers. When the
e plowed through "the forest primeval
there was little change in their vo
ume. A boat requiring a given depth
water could float pretty much all tt
l. year when the stream was not ic
l. blocked. For we'll known reasons
: proper proportion of forests proven
n the Sitting of streams that ru
) many harbors, and create bars tn
> prevent sea-going vessels and othe
requiring deep water from reachil
their docks. Philadelphia is a case
IN point in this connection. In an adore
81 by the writer before the recent Sout
- ern Industrial convention in Phil
d delphia, he showed that railways a,
others have cleared millions in le
than two decades by tree plantir
Therefore the profits of forestry a
-ly the key to the situation. It will p
s~plendidly to intelligently engage
EST tree planting. 1t is terribly ruino
'o to fail to restore our wasted arbor'
Is wealth. Every year Of delay to bet
1t to apply the remedy to evils here 81
gas gested is a loss of many millions
NJ dollars to the people of practically es
and every state in the nation. 1t is
opportunity that should be grasped
~ George May Powell in Philadelp
Times,