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


borrower, these foods and freshet,
whish diversity the general dryness
wash away from The mountain side
and either wash away or cover in fb'
valleys the rich fertile soil which 4
took tens OF thousands Of years 70,
nature 10 form. and Il IL lost forever
and until the forests grow again Il
sannct be replaced The sand and
STONES from the mountain sides are
washed loose and come rolling down 10
-eovcr the arabic lands. aud In ccnse-
a0ence throughout this part OF China
many formerly rich districts are bow
sandy wastes. useless Tor human cul-
tIvatseh and even Tor pasture. The
sltles have i,ecu. Of course. seriously
affected for the streams have grad
ueiiy ceased % ~ naslgsbie. There il
testimony that even within the mem
CRY ~ aen now living there has been
seflous fimiuniion u the rainfall of
narfhsaetern China The level Of the
HusxaFi river. 10 northern Nanehuria.
bak been scnsitsy lowered during the
last hsSy ycars. az least partly az the
result RI the Understandable cutting Of
fhe forests forming lts watershed Al.
lnoet M tue rivers Of northern China
have become uncomfortable and very
dangerous TO the dWeliers along their
hanks A. o direct result Of the destruc.
s.on n fhe forests. The Journey from /
pekin 10 Jehol shows in melancholy
fasblon how the soil hiss been washed !
away from whole valleys 80 that they
hove bees converted into deserts
IN northerH china this disastrous
PROCESS has gone on 50 long asd has
proceeded 20 far that no complete
remedy could be applied There are
certain mountains ~ China from
which the soil Is gone 80 alteriy fhat
oniy ihe slow action 81 the ages could
asain restore ii. although - course
much eunid BE- done a. prevent the
atiil farther eastward extension ~ the
Nnngoiiau desert n the Chinese gov
efnment would act 10 once. The ac-
conumhylne cuts from photographs
sliew tie incoDceiTablc desolatioH u
The barren mountnlus ln which cer.
tain u these rifeFs rise mountains. .
b. ii remembered which formerly 4
supported dense forests Of lHrches 4
ind nfs. nDW unable to produce any
's9ad and bccauss cf their condition 4,
! source 81 danger r. the whole eoun. ii
~ The photographs also show the a
same rivers after they have passed II
hrouRh the mountains. be beds hav- ii
ng ceome broad aud sandy because d
Il Tie acfoFeSiation ~ the mountains Il
lne n the photographs shows cara. ii
AN passing through valley. For Il
merry. when the mountains were for. "a
sied. Il was ihickly peopled by pros VI
'cr0us peasants. Now the foods have ri
arrled destruction all over the land a,
nd the valley IA stony desert An. hi
ther photograph shows a mountain 10
oad covered with the stones and a
oeka that are brought Down Ia The ii,
Amy season from the mountains m
ihieh have already been dcfprested II,
y human hands. Another shows a II
ebbly river bed "a southern Man. RI
hurla where whet was once great OF
.rcem has dried up owing 10 The de- es
.rcslatiun Ia 'bc mountains Only 70
me scrub wood 3 lefi. which win pl
eerrcar within half century. Yet ~
iotheg shows the effect Of one OF the an
nsh0uts destroying an arabic noun an
ia side, these wash9nla being due % wi
g remeSal ~ an veRcialiom set Ia tr,
Is phniosuiph the fefegrouid shows
az fcf6reataflon Is siiii a0ssihilNy
plaees 49,
" hat has thus happened ~ northern ~
lisa. what ms Happened IN central ~
ie. ln Palestine. in north Africa. ~
parts of The Mediterranean coun ~
IS ~ Europe. VIII surely lappen M -.
r country II We 90 not exercise that ~ XIV
50 forcihought which should be one !"
the chief marks 81 any people cali ~
! itself civilized Nothing should be w
'mlttcd 70 stand ia the way OF the a"'
'scrsatlon Of the forests. ard It Is We,
inlnal g. permit dl,lduGls TO rur- ~
Use little gain FOR themselves '"s
ough the destruction Of forests Mn'
ga ibis destruction * fatal 10 the u'u
D being % the whole country IN the nov
are hiiil
tnt,