Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-09-10

RODS Of drought floods and cyclones.
All this with many other facts, has an
important bearing on the phenomena OF
| heat waves now exciting so much con-
Germ.
i VIEWS OF GOVERNMENT EXPERTS.
called on Col. George Sudworth, acting
chief OF the United States Forest Bureau,
| in Washington. for his views. He said:
There is much difference of opinion on
| the subject among scientific men, but stu
dents of forestry are as rule convinced
| that the wholesale destruction Of trees In
this country has had much to do with the
recent aggravation of the meteorological
phenomenon known as the hot wave
Hot waves may almost be said to be
peculiar to this country. They occur IN
India. but In Europe and most other parts
of the world they are unknown. We ind
| them uncomfortable, but as yet We have
not learned with any degree OF certainty
the causes that bring them about. Flu
ture investigation is likely to throw more
light upon the subject. l am satisfied
principal cause of the severe heated spells
of recent summers has been the whole
sale wiping out of forests.
THAT forests affect the airs tempera-
ture there is no doubt. Evaporation within
the limits of a forest goes on more slowly
than outside. This means moisture and
with moisture comes a cooling Of the at
mosphere. In regions largely forested the
temperature is usually much lower.
I'VE have long observed that areas
originally humid are dried up by defores-
tation. Regions once heavily wooded with
plenty OF water in streams and springs
have become parched the streams being
either dried up or nearly dry. The forest
covered watershed means spungy layer
Of 'humus, or leaf mold, which absorbs
rain. This sponge spread over the soil
gives up its water slowly, and thus the
supply of moisture remains In the water
shed for long time.
Wipe out the forest cover and the
spongy layer disappears. Even though the
amount of rainfall remains unaltered, the
smooth surface allows the water to rush
away. There is nothing to hold the water
and so 1t passes of rapidly. leaving the
ground dry. Water that falls on a slate
covered with moss"
FORESTS COOL THE ATMOSPHERE.
B. Z. Fernow. formerly in charge of the
government forest bureau ana now pro-
fessor of forestry in Cornell university,
says:
"The general influence of the forest on
the temperature of the soil is a cooling
one, due to the shade and to the fact that
moisture is retained for a longer time in
the forest floor as well as in the air. This
moisture of course, must be evaporated
before the ground can be warmed. The av-
erage annual evaporation within the
woods is about "A per cent Of that in open
fields
Extensive study of the subject in Rus
STA, both In Europe and in Asia, shows
that in the western part OF the Old World
the presence Of large forests has a very
sensible influence upon the temperature
Apparently an alienation OF forested and
interested areas in dry regions Is more
beneficial than continuous and uninteT-
rvnka al fn7 Qaf-
ting up local circulation of air which is
brought about by differences in tempera-
ture"
Professor Fernow says Of hailstorms
that they seem to avoid forest-covered
areas. This is certainly interesting to
farmers and students of meteorology.
The influence OF forests upon fogs and
clouds is marked and peculiar. Fog ling
ers In the woods when IL is clear else
where. Trees act as condensers, gather
ers OF dew, frost and ice. and this phe-
nomenon is especially remarkable in the
so-cailed ''fce storms" where the accumu-
lation of ice is so great as to overload and
break the larger limbs and branches.
The man who has most carefully studied
this subject Is B. Ribbentrop, inspector
general OF forests in India. He says for
ests affect climate in a marked degree.
History proves this In numerous instances
where the deterioration OF the climate OF
whole districts, and even Of entire coun-
tries, has followed the destruction of for
ests. The once we'll wooded Daimatia Is
now a stony desert. Persia, formerly one
Of the granaries of the east, is barren and
desolate over a large extent of its terri
tory. North Africa which was one of the
main grain producers OF ancient Rome, is
subject to the severest drouths. Spain,
Italy. Sicily, Greece and Asia Minor have
also suffered enormously from deforesta-
ton.
Experiments by Ebermayer, the famous
physicist OF Munich, show that where 80
per cent of a country is under a complete
| forest cover the precipitation is at least 10
per cent greater. Also, tnat the mean an
nual temperature in a forest is 10 per cent
less than in the open. The difference Is
greatest in summer the season when the
temperature is Of serious importance.
Centuries ago. when most OF India was
A forest the climate was very different
from what II now Is. Ea-Hian, the great
Chinese traveller OF the fourth century A.
D.. saws of India that its temperature was
neither cold nor hot"
FOREST AN OXYGEN FACTORY.
In the United States observing stations
esta blished in forests have recorded over
and over again the fact that the air over
wooded areas was both cooler and moist
er than above the open fields.
| 1t has been claimed that forest exert
an important influence in behalf Of hui
man health. Soil conditions In the wooos
are unfavorable to disease producing
germs. especially those OF cholera and yell
/ low fever.
Every forest is an oxygen factory, and
/ IL Is declared that its production OF that
/ life giving gas Is of sanitary importance.
Ozone is also a forest product.
The forest may be regarded as a blank
ct. with which nature covers the earth
| for it's protection. This blanket, says
| Professor Mark w. Harrington, deter
mines many OF the features of climate"
| The amount OF water exhaled by plants
| a. enormous. Trees are about one-half
| water in their composition. Water is their
chief food. Having drawn II from the
/ soil TO extract the nutriment which 1t
| contains In a very thin solution, they dis
pose of the rest by Transportation. Proba-
| bly a fair sized oak or poplar will force
| through its stem and leaves from ten TO
| twenty gallons Of water daily.
TIMBER MORE VALUABLE THAN
| MINES.
The Importance of preparing the for
ests." says Professor Fernow, becomes
more evident when IL is considered that
their annual increase by natural growth,
representing the interest which we are at
| liberty to draw without imparing the
| principal exceeds in the United States
alone ten times the value of the gold and
silver output of this country. II Is worth