The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-12-08

Juelr ueSJTuCLlOn In9 SOIL mas De6h
washed off the naked rock. The ter
rible consequence is that It is impos-
sible now to undo the damage that
has been done. Many centuries would
have to pass before soil would again
collect, or could be made to collect,
or could be made to collect, in suffi-
cient quantity once more to support
the old-time forest growth. In con-
sequence the Mongol Desert is prac-
tically extending eastward over north
ern China. The climate has changed
and is still changing. It has changed
even within the last half century, as
the work of tree destruction has been
contaminated. The great masses Of
arboreal vegetation on the mountains
formerly absorbed the heat of the
sun and sent up currents of cool air
which brought the moisture-laden
clouds lower and forced them to pre-
cipitate in rain a part of their bur
den of water. Now that there is
no vegetation, the barren mountains,
scorched by the SUM- send up currents
of heated air which drive away in
stead of attracting the rain clouds,
and cause their moisture to be dis
seminated. In consequence, instead
of the regular and plntifuI rains
which existed in these regions of Chi.
ma when the forests were still in evil
dence, the unfortunate inhabitants
of the regular and plentiful rains
crops wither for lack of rainfall
while the seasons grow more and
more irregular; and as the air be-
comes dryer certain crops refuse
longer to grow at all. That. every
thing dries out faster than formerly
is shown by the fact that the level
of the wells all over the land has sunk
perceptibly, many of them having be-
come totally dry. in addition to the
resulting agricultural distress, the
watercourses have changed Former
ly they. were narrow and deep, with
an abundance of clear water the year
around for the roots and humus Of
the forests caught the rainwater and
let it escape by slow, regular seepage,
They have now become broad, shall
low stream beds, in which muddy wa
ter trickles slender currents during
the dry seasons, while when it rains
there are freshets, and roaring muddy
torrents come tearing down, bringing
disaster and destruction everywhere.
Moreover, these floods and freshets,
which diversity the general dryness,
| wish away from the mountain sides,
| and either wash away or cover in the
! valleys the rich fertile soil which It
| took tens of thousands of years for
| Nature to form; and it is lost forever,
! and until the forests grow again It
can not be replaced. The sand and
| stones from the mountain sides are
washed loose and come rolling down
to cover the arabic lands, and in con-
| sequence, throughout this part of Chi
| ma, many formerly rich districts are
now sandy wastes, useless for human
! cultivation and even for pasture. The
cities have been of course seriously
| affected for the streams have grad
ually ceased to be navigable. There
| is testimony that even within the
memory of men now living there has
been a serious diminution of the
rainfall of northeastern China. The
level of the Sungari River in north
ern Manchuria has been sensibly low
cred during tn last fifty years, a
least partly as the result of the indis
criminate cutting of the forests form
ing it's watershed. Almost all the riv
ers of northern China have become
uncomfortable, and very dangerous t.
the jewellers along their banks, as {
direct result of the destruction of the
forests. The journey from Pekin t.
Jehol shows in melancholy fashion
how the soil has been washed ava!
from whole valleys, so that they hav'
been converted into deserts.
In northern China this disastrou
process has gone on so long and ha
, proceeded so far that no complete
remedy could be applied There ar
certain mountains in China iron
which the soil is gone so utterly tina
only the slow action of the ages coul
again restore it; although of cours
much could be done to prevent III
still further eastward extension o
! the Monaghan Desert if the Chimes
Covenant would act at once. TIL
, accompanying cuts from photograph
, show the inconceivable desolation G
} the barren mountains in which ceI
tain of these rivers rise-mountain'
, be it remembered, which formerly SUI
, ported dense forests of larches an
= frs, now unable to produce any WOO
= and because of their condition
source of danger to the whole coul
9 try. The photographs also show tn
!, same rivers after they have passe
6 through the mountains, the beds ha
!, ing become broad and sandy becaus
!, of the deforestation of the mountain
:. One of the photographs shows G.
> ravan passing through a valley. Flo
merly, when the mountains were TO
ested, it was thicllly peopled by pro
porous peasants. Now the floods haV
carried destruction all over the Ian
= and the valley is stony desert A
, other photograph shows a mounta
j road covered with the stones an
; rocks that are brought down in n