The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-07
opens in December, the date for a

vote being set for Feb. Is.
1t is strange that after millions
have been voted for irrigation pro-
jects in Nevada and other Western
States, and large sums have been
for improving the nav
igation cf the Ohio River. Sen
ators from Nevada and Ohio
should deliberately talk to death
measure of such merit as the forest
reserve bill. A mistake was made
in leaving the measure until SO late
in the season. When Senator Bran
dagee of Connecticut, finally was
aroused to bring up this bill, of which
he had charge, he made a good fight
for it, but he showed only a languid
interest in it until very recently.
The bill that come up as unfnish-
ed business in the Senate next De-
cemIber provides for the expenditure
of $1,000,000 the first year and $2,-
100000 each year thereafter until and
including 1915 for the requirement
of forest lands, the preservation of
existing forests and the reforestation
of denuded portions of the water
sheds of the White and Appalachian
Mountains in those States which
maintain forestry bureaus and sys-
tens Of fine control. The bill fur
Their provides that the Secretaries of
Agriculture, War and the Treasury
shall constitute a committee to for
mulate rules and regulations for the
expenditure Of the fund so appro-
priated.
The need Of the passage of a bill
protecting the head waters of the
Connecticut River is shown by re-
port submitted by Senator Branda-
gee, of Connecticut, as part of his
remarks, part of which follows:
In the year 1881 the State of New
Hampshire established a forest COM
| MISSION, who were instructed to
inquire, among other matters relat-
ing to the forests, into the effect. if
any, produced by the destruction of
our forests upon our rainfall, and
consequently upon our ponds and
streams. In their report made in
1855, the commission presented a
summary of the large number of re-
plies to their inquiries. These re-
plies came from all parts of the
, State. From the summary the fol-
lowing citations are made:
" Beginning with the southern por-
ton of the State, and with the town
OF Richmond, attention is called to a
small stream there, which in 1865
| furnished sufficient power for foul
sawmills nearly all the year, but
which began to dry up with the more
rapid removal of the timber occasion
ed by the Introduction of steam as an
auxiliary power. The water and the
woods have disappeared together and
the same is the case in other portions
of the town.
I'm Fitzwilliam and Rindge the
same results have been reached all
the more rapidly because OF the near
er proximity of these towns to a
market. Well-known trout streams
once abundantly stocked with fish, are
now dry half of the year, and the
treeless ground and naked rocks
]
sources are considered a sufficient
explanation.
1.-The chairman of the board of sell
ectmen in Henniker, who has given
much attention to the subject, is con-
fident that the water in the Contocook
River has decreased fully one-third
within even twenty years, and that
the tributaries have fallen off still
more, many being nearly dry in the
summer. During this period $4,000
worth of timber has been cut within
this one town. In the surrounding
towns also the timber his disappeared
with equal rapidly, and the water
supply has seriously decreased.
The report from Bow, which COW
ers period of fifty years. within
which most of the timber has been
cut off, and that from Hopkinton
which covers a period of sixty years
both tell the same story of naked hill
sides and diminished streams.
AT Hanover the Connecticut Riv-
er for many years has been decreas-
ing in volume, and with increasing
rapidly the timber from it's head
waters has been floating by.
I'm Canaan siXty-five years age
1 there were nine or more mills of diff
ferent kinds; abundant water power
all the year around; no thought OF
reservoirs or double dams or precau-
tons against drought. Canaan street
now covered with a firm dry sod, was
laid out through a swamp, impossible
but for the hummocks and fallen
trees, while dense forests of giant
trees covered the hills. The writer
who furnishes the above facts, a ma
tive of the place, returning after an
absence OF thirty years, found the
hills and rocks bare, the springs
choked up, and the mills obliged to
resort to steam power or lie idle.
The great mountain region of the
State lies in contiguous parts of the
counties of Grafton, Carroll, and
Coos. The numberless streams or
iginating in this region, protected by
the primitive forests, might be
thought to be beyond any disturbing
cause, but such is not the case. The
town of Littleton depends upon the
Ammonoosuc for its water power, but
three of its oldest citizens testify that
this power has diminished one-third
within fifty or sixty years. The
mountain forests during this same pc
Rod have been encroached upon as
never before, and it is not surprising
that so commonly these two facts are
associated as cause and consequence.
Coos county contains more of the
first growth of timber than any other
...ft 90 1tAf II, Fl. 4 .