Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-02-23

transportation, frequently sweeping
down the surface soil and leaving the
bedrock exposed and barren. The light.
dry snow may be piled high when swept
and drifted about by the winds. and
may roll downward In great, loose
masses; but the Kind we saw here had
evidently been OF he more destructive
variety. Tho SNOW masses became wa
tersoaked from the three days rain,
ana the damn, cohoring snow, perhaps
beginning with n small rolling ball.
soon gathered such force as to sweep
down the soil, gravel, rocks and trees,
leaving the bare rock exposed. The
rolling SNOWFALL changes Into a sliding
avalanche. which carries down every
movable object. when tho soil liz loos-
enc with rain. the avalanche Of Ice
and snow may become a landslide, car
rying hills OF gravel or whole surface
areas of soil along with II. Landslides
on a small scale had apparently &C.
CURED al various points along the can
yon, The impression made upon the
mind of the observer Is that this vast
soil factory has lately been shipping It's
product to market In enormous pack
ages; and that II future slides with
all their dangers are to be guarded
against. systematic forestry and tree
planting should be resorted to IN Ogden
canyon. This is true, in some degree.
~ all " canyons. Is more notice
able Just now where people have been
put to Inconvenience by the destructive
processes that are everywhere romov-
Ing the soil from our mountain sides.
WORK OF ANCIENT WATERS.
We noticed the masses OF conglomer-
ate rock thar must have been formed
by an arm OF tho ancient Lake Bonne-
Willie. which reached far UP the IAN
yon. The gravel was carried INTO the
lake, mixed with nne sediment there,
and compactcd under water into a con.
create. Many stratI1icd rocks stand IN
layers on their ends. running upwards
for hundreds OF feet in the air. and
some of them twisted and curled into
folds and oontortionp wonderful 10 see,
These strata must have been formed
under waters far more ancient and then
stand ON end by the crumpling OF the
earth's crest which reared them into
mountains. As the mountains slowly
rose. the river cut slowly down. expos
ing the tilted strata as a remarkable
open h ptsr OF earth-history. The
lower par OF the canyon Is Of meta
morphic rock. still more ancient. no
doubt, and formed by the combined
agencies OF heat and water probably in
archaean times. The story OF these
rocks Ia an interesting one. but cannot
be told further In this place.
NOftN We IHE BURkOME
| The work OF the chipnunk and SOUR
rel, the rabbit and badger, and other
burrowers, deserves a further comment.
These not only shift but also pulverize
the soil till II is nj for immediate use.
AT tlrst sight, their contribution to the
total result seems inconsiderable. yet
the act IL otherwise, and we must
reckon these creatures among our most
important field labOrers. Upon their
usefulness We can found an unanswer.
able argument for their preservation
They should not be destroyed In the
canyons. but may be kept out OF thu
valleys II necessary for the protection
of root crops or orchards,
ANIMALS TILL THE SOIL.
The animals which till the soil foi
the use of man are rarely considered
AS his coYlaborers and helpers. Ye
they give him a vast amount Of aid
and without their patient industry II II
doubtful whether or not man could Elk,
] out an existence on the earth's surface