Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-12-11


temple or imperial burying ground
there are still huge trees and tangled
Jungle fragments of the glorious an
Gent forests. The thick, matted for,
est growth formerly covered the moan.
tains TO their SUBMITS. All natural
factors favored this dense forest
growth, and as long as 1t was per-
mitted to exist the plains at the foot
of the mountains were among the
most fertile on the globe, and the
whole country was garden. Not the
slightest effort was made, however,
to prevent the unchecked cutting Of
the trees or to secure reforestation
( Doubtless for many centuries the tree
cutting by the Inhabitants of Vie
mountains worked but slowly In BRING
I ing about the changes that have now
( come to pass. Doubtless for genera
tons the inroads were scarcely no
ticeable. but there came a time when
the forest had shrunk sufficiently to-
make each years cutting a serious
matter. and from that time on the de-
struction proceeded with appalling ra-
pidity. for Of course each year of de-
struction rendered the forest less able
TO recuperate, less able to resist next
years inroad.
Mr.. Meyer describes the ceaseIess.
progress of the destruction even
now, when there is so little left
to destroy. Every morning men and
boys 20 out armed with mattocb
or AK. scale the steepest mountain
sides and cut down ana grub out. root
and branch. the small trees and shrubs
still 10 be found The big trees dis
appeared centuries ago. so that now
one of these is never seen save in the
neighborhood of temples where they
are artficially protected. and even
here it takes all the watch and care OF
the tree loving priests TO prevent their
destruction Each family. each COM
munity, where there is no common
care exercised in the interest of all OF
them to prevent defcrestation, finds its
profit in the immediate use of the fuel
which would otherwise be used by
some other family or some other COM
In the total absence of regu-
lation of the matter in the interest Of
the whole people each small group IS
pushed into a policy of de-
struction which cannot afford to take
thought for the morrow. This is Just
me OF those matters which it is fatal
% leave to unsupervised individual
control. The forests can only be pro
ected-by the state. by the nation. AMI
he liberty of action of individuals
must be conditioned upon what the
tate or nation determines to be neces-
airy for the common safety.
The lesson of deforestation in China
) a lesson which mankind should have
earned many times already from what
as occurred in other places. Denuda-
ion leaves naked soil, then gullying
uts down TO the bare rock, and mean
Thile the rock waste buries the bot
I'm lands. When the soil is gone meR
lust go. and the process does not
Ike long.
The ruthless destruction of the for
Its in northern China has brought
bout or has aided in bringing about
just as the destruction OF
lie forests in central Asia aid in bring
ties, just as the destruction of the
rests in northern Africa helped to-
ard the ruin of a region that was a
rifle granary in Roman days. Short
GIFTED man, whether barbaric, semi
vilized or what he mistakenly regards
fully civilized, when be has destroy
the forests has rendered certain the
innate destruction of the land itself
northern China the mountains are
W such as are shown by the accom-
nying photographs, absolutely barren
AXIS. Not only have the forests been
stroyed, but because of their destruc-
n the soil has been washed off the
ked rock. The terrible consequence
that it is impossible now to undo
, damage that has been done. Many
lturies would have to pass before
would again collect or could lie
de to collect in sufficient quantity
'e more TO support the Old time for
growth. In consequence the Mon
desert is practically extending east
ri over northern China. The eli
tie has changed and is still chang
1t has changed even within the
half century as the work of tree
tructiOn has been consummated
? great masses of arboreal vegetation
the mountains formerly absorbed
heat of the sun and sent up cur
is of cool air which brought the
sure laden clouds lower and forced
N TO precipitate in rain a part OF
r burden of water. Now that there
o vegetation the barren mountains.
ched by the sun, send up currents
heated air which drive away in
d of attracting the rain clouds and
sc their moisture TO be disseminat-
In consequence. instead of the reg
and plentiful rains which existed ~
hese regions of China when the
SIS were still in evidence. the I'M
mate inhabitants of the deforested
5 new see their crops wither for
OF rainfall, while the seasons grow
and more irregular, and as the
becomes drier certain crops refuse
er TO grow at ALL
at everything dries out faster than