The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-03-02

countries in all the world. 1t contains
some of the very large rivers of the
world. China has comparatively an ex-
tremely small mileage of railroads, so
that Its rivers should be relatively
more important than those of any other
country. And yet what do we find?
The mouths of all it's rivers choked
with sandbars. Up to about ten years
ago large ships could not discharge at
the docks of Shanghai At last the
enormous commerce of this great port
forced it's Improvement, but it was
huge and expensive undertaking. Yes
sells of any considerable draft cannot
now reach Tientsin at all, but must
stop outside of Taku bar. Tientsin is
situated in a great alluvial plain which
has been brought down from the region
of Peking and above by the Hoi Ho
river. All the hills and mountains in
this region were denuded of their for
ests evidently many centuries ago. No
forests remain, but that they were once
forest covered or at least are capable
of producing trees is shown by the
sacred trees about the Chinese temples
and the tombs of their ancestors. The
rain now falls upon the barren slopes
and rapidly rushes to the sea, carry
ing every particle of detached earth
that it can carry. The sediment con-
tanning sand and gravel is deposited
upon the fertile fields, while the finer
sediment Is carried into irrigation
ditches the beds of streams and canals.
In Korea the same mistake of de-
nuding the hillsides has been made as
in China, with Identical results so far
as time has permitted. Doubtless
China had been stripped of it's forests
for centuries while Korea was still
well-wooded country, but Korea is no
longer well wooded, having been de-
nuded to it's very mountain peaks,
while the same sad story is being writ
ten of the barren mountains being
washed down to fill up the precious
irrigation bitches and to cover with
worthless sand and silt the precious
rice paddles and fertile wheat fields.
1t is worthy of note that since Japan
took over Korea very ambitious and
expensive program of reforestation has
been entered upon and is now being
carried on there with every indication
of finally successful outcome, but it
will require many decades of time and
an unlimited amount of money to undo,
even in small part, the great injury
done to this unfortunate country by
the reckless expenditure of it's great
forest wealth.
Japan herself has done much better
in this regard in her own little island
empire. The Islands are evidently OF
comparatively recent geological forma-
ton, so that there are many more high
mountains with precipitous slopes and
much of the land is steeply sloping
hillsides. From some of these the for
ests were stripped carelessly and ero-
sion had begun its deadly work, but
has not been permitted to run Its de-
structive course as in China and to a
lesser degree in Korea. In fact, in no
other one thing are those who have
directed the internal affairs Of Japan
to be so much commended as for the
mastery, statesmanlike forestry policy
that has been inaugurated and is now
being carried out in that country.
Our own country is old, geologically
speaking, but quite youthful in point of
utilization of the land either for the
timber originally standing on it or for
agricultural purposes. The time has
not been sufficient in which to make
all the mistakes of older countries, but
considering the brief period of our his
tory, we have surely made our share
and the end is not yet. 1t is already
apparent what the end will be. We
must not stumble blindly on into the
condition of China and other portions
of the Orient or even to the state al
ready reached by some parts of Europe.