The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-28
Weather Bureau Scientist Blames
Deforestation for Some of
Dry SPELLS Evils.
TREES CONSERVE RAINFALL.
Professor Garriott Does Not Think
There Has Been Much Gil
matte Change in Thou
sands of Years.

| AsH' pbiAit
Washington. d. c.. July 27.-Professor Gar
riott of the United States Weather Bureau
blames deforestation for much of the seri-
Gus effects Of the great drought.
| The influence of forests on climate
ne says. has been given considerable at
tention by popular and scientific writer's on
forestry and meteorology, and among those
who have investigated the subject the de-
auction has been made that while forests
are conservators of rainfall and have the
| erect OF modifying. within their limits.
extremes of temperature, they DO not at
rect the amount Of precipitation in any To-
| cality.
| forests can originate. grow and exist
| only IN regions of plentiful rainfall, and II
| districts in which the forest has been cut
OUT were abandoned by man the unchanged
climatic conditions would. in time. produce
| another forest
AS matter of fact, where soil conditions
are favorable abundant rainfall causes for
ests' rather than forests abundant rainfall
General rains often cover areas a thousand
mics or more In extent: they bring their
,noi a from distances even greater than
i'"V' miles, and their paths are frequently
measured by the width of continents.
II IS obvious, therefore, that a cause go
snsnt as cutting away few square miles
VI forest here and there could have no ef-
ts ~ upon an atmospheric disturbance Of
the magnitude Of general rainstorm.
,,,, Quotes Ancient History,
The argument that deforestation dimin-
Lsn ' rainfall Is a historical one, as the
Ioiio~ins quotations show: 1t is a familiar
a aaSI s shnf there are many regions in Asia
Tile and densely populated. that are now
sterile and desolate. The country border.
Ing on the EuPhrates. and portions Of Tur-
now incapable 81 i,ag an sro Spain are
OF rain due to deforestation.'
Inc most fertile Of all Provinces in Blu
Gnara was that OF Sogd. In 1925 this Prov
den.' Ne'''ou' gar
In 1876; another writer says Of this same
n re ION Within thirty years this was one
country which when we'll wooded and
wei Watered was a terrestrial paradise:
ana n,,, within the last twenty-five years a
pie. and all the great forests have been cut
away and the little that remained was raw
aged by fire during the Civil War. The con-
try has been transformed into a Kind Of
ard desert. The water courses are dried
up "a ana irrigating canals are empty
settled mas nr also been said that IN the older
are arid hills and worn out fields due to
the tn, falling of Of precipitation from the
away Oh the Forest Growth.
In referring to quotations and state
m .1l ct this kind. it has been remarked
mat without more precise data as to rain
t taii 1t would be hazardous to conclude
rect. It is certain that the fertility Of many
regions In Asia and Southern Europe In
ancient days was due to stupendous irri-
were neglected through wars and other un-
toward circumstances the fertility neces-
sarily ceased.
History fails to show any change of
climate In any part Of the world during the
last few thousand years.
that Msre found il in Egypt
show the same size as those now found in
that land; The early and late rains and the
hoods OF Egypt and Palestine were the same
uons IN the United States show that the
ralnialls OF 100 years ago measured In New
Eng England were no greater and no less than
they are at the present time.
"A most marked effect upon climate of
the forest Is shown in it's effects upon tenn
perature. In the shaded depths Of for
are not so high. and in winter the extremes
OF cold are not so great as on the plains
In billy countries fog and low-lying clouds
forest. and not on the open plains. A light,
misting rain will sometimes fall in forest,
while IN the open fields no rain occurs. The
THE effect of the forest ia strikinelv
esow Gr IN connection with foods and periods
which prevents drought within their con-
fines during rainless periods. The litter
which covers the floor of an undisturbed
forest saves rainfall which would otherwise
be lost; the water thus retained finds its
way by seecage to the sources Of springs
flow.
Deforestation's Part.
"Deforestation and drainage cause a rapid
flow Of water, which falls during the rain.
and the immediate result is freshets and
floods. and the final result Is drought during
long-continued rainless periods. Facts do
not prove that forests increase or that de-
forestatiOn decreases rainfalls.
1.-The observations of the Weather Bureau
show that periods Of prolonged. intense
heat. attended by drought conditions, have
prevailed in some part of the United States
east Of the Rocky Mountains on an aver
most Important Of these during the last
twenty years occurred in 1881. 1857. 1884 1895.
1928. 1900. The 1881 period occurred in Sep
TENDER and produced the highest tempera-
the Middle Atlantic States. In each Of the
other years named extraordinary tempera-
lures were reached within areas Of greater
or less magnitude.
Drought's Wide Extent.
"A notable feature OF the present period
OF high temperatures and drought Is the ex-
tent OF territory within which Unprecedented
maximum temperatures have obtained dur
ing a period extending over more than four
weeks. The drought and great heat in this.
as In preceding years, has not been confined
to regions in which the forests have been
cut away. In fact. the drought is most in
where forests have probably never existed.
and less severe in sections like Michigan.
where deforestation has occurred
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